I Should Probably Come Up With a Title

I hate titling sermons. Some churches have creative teams that assist the pastor in creating a sermon title or series that will attract hearers...

Comeback!
Overcoming the Storms of Life!
Seven Secrets to Sabotage Selfishness!

I think creating themes like this is smart and fits the old adage,
"If you can't describe your sermon/speech/essay in one sentence, you did it wrong."

So why do I struggle with sermon titles? I can generally summarize each of them with a sentence, so it seems like the title would come pretty easily. However, truth is a deep well. People can drink of it, and be impacted in different ways. I can preach a message on financial stewardship and instead see someone walk past their past in an unrelated area of sin, pleading for Jesus to save them (true story).

Peter, Paul, and even Jesus didn't title their sermons. We did it for them, trying to provide a summary of each section of each chapter of the Bible. Have you ever read one of those subheadings like "Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand" and realized His feeding of the multitude wasn't the point?
SPOILER ALERT: The point was 12 weak-faithed disciples had to pick up, hold, and stare into 12 baskets of leftovers. The miracle wasn't to feed hungry people, but to feed the faith of these future missionaries/pastors/church planters.

Preacher: Next time you write a sermon, don't become so focused on a theme or title that you dry up the various truths that tend to leak out around the edges and speak to people in profound ways! Don't focus on how another pastor does it. Focus on how God has called YOU to do it.

Hearer: Next time you sit to listen to a message, don't presume the sermon title is all God may potentially want to talk with you about.

Why Anti-Bullying Doesn't Work

My parents used to dip my fingers in jalapeno juice. 

Why was I subjected to such cruel and unusual punishment? Because I wouldn't stop biting my fingernails, leaving my fingers looking awful. At first the burning was a pretty strong deterrent, but still didn't stop me from this poor habit. A guitar did. 

If you've never played guitar, that highest E string is pretty thin. This becomes very apparent when you're biting your nails very short and the string jams between the nail and the skin, as happened to me during a worship set one morning at church!

(Dramatic re-enactment)

That was it. I resolved to stop biting my nails to improve the appearance of my hands, and allow me to play guitar pain-free. It's been 7 years and I haven't gone back to it since. So what made the change? I needed a reason to stop. Telling me it was bad wasn't nearly as impactful as gaining a real understanding of why I should quit. 

Which takes me to the subject of bullying. If you haven't seen the heart-wrenching video of Keaton Jones sharing his experience of being bullied at school, you should.

As I watched, I began to ask, "Why aren't the anti-bullying campaigns working?" Clearly because kids don't have a reason to. Bullying isn't overcome without a strong reason why, and saying, "It's wrong" clearly isn't enough.

We have to make our kids pro-people.

The strong reason is this: every person is a creation of God (Gen 1:26). He has built them with value, worth, and an eternal soul. When someone is bullied, the very creation of God is mocked. Sadly, Christians in my elementary school were some of the harshest bullies I faced. Imagine if instead of making fun of my cheap clothes they had talked to me about treasures in Heaven! Think of how my life could have been changed earlier with knowledge of a God who loved me. Loving Christians could have made such a positive impact!

I want to see an end to bullying. But instead of focusing on anti-bullying, teach your kids to be pro-people! Remind them that every person has been made in the image of God. God has placed many types of people in our circle of influence so we can love them and learn from them. I know this has motivated me to a fresh conversation with my own kids today. 

You Need To Shut Up and Pray

You talk too much. I know this is true, because I do it too. 

We've often been told that praying is just us talking to God, but I'm realizing that's only half right. In reality, prayer is a back and forth conversation with God.

The Hebrew word "palal" is the common OT form of the word prayer "and it expresses the idea of coming between two parties" (Vine's Word Studies). In the NT, "proseuchomai" is the word you'll see most often referring to prayer to God. It's meaning isn't mere conversation, but an attitude of worship.

The question is: Are YOU talking too much in your prayers? 

And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 (ESV)

Today I realized my prayers aren't very wide. While I'm praying for others beyond myself and family, I stopped my prayers this morning and said, "Lord, where else are you calling me to focus my prayers?" It's not only because my prayers have power, but I believe God is always challenging us to live in greater awareness of others. Awareness is unlikely to take root if I'm talking all the time.

My prayer was followed by a few moments of silence and then unexpected words! I found myself praying for those impacted by the hurricanes, those soon to be impacted, and those working to impact these communities for the gospel . Prayers for President Trump and his advisers as they went to the U.N. soon came. The people of North Korea, people God created and loves, were also lifted up in my heart and mouth.

What prayers is the Holy Spirit holding for you today? Before you start the prayer wheel turnin', be sure you invite God to turn it with prayers that empower others while stretching your heart and mind. Let's be willing to shut up, listen, and THEN pray! 

Don't Stop Believing....or Talking!

Why is it that God seems to deal differently with the unbelief of His people? This question came from my recent simultaneous prep for a sermon and Sunday School lesson.

"So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." Hebrews 3:19

In Hebrews 3, God clearly reveals that Israel was kept out of the Promised Land for one reason. It wasn't their unworthiness, but their unbelief. As a result, the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years until that unbelieving generation died out.

So why did Moses get a pass?

In Exodus 3, Moses is fully confronted by God and challenged with a great task:
"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." Exodus 3:10

If you know the story, you know that Moses offered up numerous objections. Even as he spoke directly with God, Moses continued to suffer from unbelief.

So why did God stick it out with Moses, but Israel had to wander the desert? The difference I see is a willingness to keep the conversation going. When Israel was met by the challenges of God's call, they didn't talk to Him about it at all. Instead, they began discussing who they could replace Moses with to take them back to Egypt. You know...the place they lived as slaves!

Years before this, Moses is called by God to lead these people out of that very same slavery. During the course of the conversation, Moses repeatedly attempts to get out of this call. He doesn't believe he has any ability to truly by used by God in such a big way. Essentially, he's dealing with unbelief, and yet, Moses never quits the conversation.

Therein lies the lesson. God knows we're going to have faith struggles, believing God's promises because of our own inadequacies, a long delay, or the perceived impossibility of the task. But God is gracious!

As Jesus was brought a demon-possessed boy to be healed, the boy's Father asked Jesus to do something if He was able. Jesus tells the Father that all things are possible to Him who believes. This father seems to have believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but he still dealt with doubts. Maybe it was because his son had suffered so long, but he responds to Jesus, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24). Jesus then casts out the demon and heals the boy.

God knows you. God knows your heart. God knows your faith struggles. In all of this, unbelief is a constant barrier that allow us to miss God's best because we failed to pursue it. When the situations are challenging, keep the conversation going! Bring your doubts and fears to God. He is capable of not only working in your situation, but in strengthening your faith in the process. So keep talking, believing that God is working and listening!

When the Time is Right

My son just got a truck...and yet he's had it for five months.

Back in March, Tyler started driving a lot more with his permit. One morning, I began to realize we may need an extra vehicle to actually get five family members to all the places they need to go. On the exact day I had this realization, my mom called to say she and my step-dad wanted to give Tyler one of their vehicles they weren't using much anymore.

I hadn't prayed about it yet. In fact, I had barely become conscious of the need, and already God had been working out the timing on a blessing for our family. (Shout out also to my gracious siblings for being totally excited and cool with Tyler receiving this incredible gift from his grandparents.)

In April, Tyler was asked to write down three wishes for a creative writing assignment. As I read over it, I noticed Wish #2: "I wish for a car. Hopefully a truck...don't care what kind it is! And I'd like it to be black."

Meanwhile, this is what God had already provided...

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me Micah 7:7

Here's my point. Stop living in what you can see. Stop presuming God isn't working while you're still waiting. If God had given my son this truck a year ago, it would have been wasted, just sitting around while he didn't even had a permit. Instead, God brought him what was needed when it was needed and not before!

I'm reminded that God is perfect. He exists outside of time, never hurrying to catch up. God is the master storyteller working behind the scenes on our behalf. When I'm calling to Him, He hears me. Like the old gospel song says, "He may not come when you want Him, but He'll be there right on time!"

Will that black truck you've been hoping for always be God's answer? No, but our responsibility is to pray specifically and then trust God with the specifics. When the time is right, God will give us the right answer. Remember His words from Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."

A River of Prayer

Prayerwalking along the river is a favorite spot of mine. 

As I walk along I pray against my sin. I pray for my family, my friends, and my church. But, as I walked and talked with God today the image of the river became an image of my prayer life.

Like my prayers, this river changes. Some days it's choppy and churning, while other days leave it as smooth as glass. My prayers are like that too. Sometimes, I feel like a spiritual mess with more in my heart than I could ever let out through my lips. There are also the days I feel a great peace in the wake of a big answer from the Lord, or merely because I've learned to wait more patiently for the answer.

My prayers have changed alongside these waters. Certain prayers for my children have turned to praises, while others grow in persistence. Church emergencies are now water under the bridge, part of the testimony of God's work in our church. As I pray, I find God deepens the shallow expectations of many of my prayers.

The river also warns me against forgetfulness towards God's work. How many prayers have I sailed down this river? Water that was right next to me a few weeks ago has traveled hundreds of miles since. In the same way, so have many of my prayers. I've seen God answer, whether "yes" or "no", and I see that He continues working on my behalf. The river reminds me against merely throwing out new needs, but to thank Him for the requests that have since been handled by a loving, powerful God.

So whether your prayer life is choppy or calm, prayer still matters. Keep talking to God. Keep sailing those prayers down that river to the God who has created us and loves to hear from us. 

Who Really Wrote the Bible?

Did God dictate every word of Scripture, or simply inspire the men who wrote the words?

I've pondered and talked over this question with people for years. A recent reading through 1 Corinthians 7 led me to go ahead and write my thoughts on the subject.

"I, Not the Lord"
Paul's chapter on marriage reiterates God's command against divorce (1 Cor 7:10), but then he goes a step further. Paul writes that believers should remain married to their unbelieving spouses, if that spouse isn't overtly hostile to Christianity (1 Cor 7:12). But look at how he says it:

"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her."

Paul seems certain that verse 12 isn't in conflict with God's standards, but he doesn't have a clear statement from scripture or Jesus to reference. So he qualifies that his words here didn't generate from any place he could definitively point to. These parentheses cause great hesitation in some people.

The written words of God
I actually see this parenthetical statement of Paul to be very encouraging to the idea of divine authorship. Paul understood he was writing more than just temporary letters. He reveals this by instructing the Colossians to pass their letter along for the church at Laodicea, and to read the (now lost) letter Paul had written to them as well (Colossians 4:6). These letters continue to be "passed along" in our churches today.

But if scripture is God's Word, why didn't God just write it down Himself? Simply put, God likes using us! It's incredible how involved God allows us to be in the process of Kingdom-building. The writers of the biblical books were tools in the hand of God. However, I don't believe they were mindlessly dictating, but utilized by the Lord as individuals. 

All Scripture is God-Breathed
2 Timothy 3:16 is clear that all scripture is "God-breathed". That means, God was intimately involved in the process. Some interpret this as God telling each writer every single word to write down. That just isn't the God I've gotten to know in my walk with Christ, and my reading of the Bible.

God was the inspiration, but the individual writers' fingerprints are evident as you read their books. Matthew was passionate about reaching the Jewish people with the Gospel, and so under the inspiration of God, he wrote a gospel that references the Old Testament and speaks to that audience.

Meanwhile, Luke partnered with Paul in reaching non-Jews for Jesus. Luke certainly could have written a gospel like Matthew's, but God inspired him to write based on his experience and concern for Gentiles. So while the two books contain similar details of Jesus' life, you can see the way God allowed the gospel passions of the individual to come through their writing.

This is why two pastors or bible teachers can cover the same passage with lessons that are absolutely biblical, but not identical. God has inspired the individual. Whether God dictated each word, or inspired the writers as they worked, God still has a touch on every letter of His Word. 

The Bible is God's Word
I have no doubts that the Bible is God's inspired Word. I've studied original manuscripts. I've attempted to live my life by it's words for decades, and encouraged others to do the same. Watching the impact of these words in my life and others, has only served to increase my confidence. I pray three things for you in reading this post:

1. That you will trust God's Word.
2. As a result of that trust, you will read and apply the Bible daily.
3. Remember God made you as an individual to serve Him in a unique way. Don't try to be like someone else!