If you don’t attend my church, you’ve probably never heard that phrase before. It’s commonplace around our church. It might sound a little clunky to you. It did to me at first. However, it’s so true and a good reminder. Let’s break it down.

It’s only (there’s no alternative)

ever (at any time)

always (at all times)

all (there is no other part)

about Jesus.

Easter weekend is the Super Bowl of church services. We gear up with our best foot forward knowing that people will be walking through the doors who might never have been to church before or this might be their one annual attendance (two if they make it to Christmas). We want to make an impact. We want them to hear the gospel. We want the power of the Holy Spirit to strike them wherever they’re at in their walk.

It’s only ever always all about Jesus.

We spend more time making sure the worship is top notch for this Sunday. We put extra time into planning and practicing. We make sure the slides look great. We make sure our lighting cues are solid. We make sure we have smiling people greeting you as you enter the lobby. We have better coffee than other Sundays. We have welcome bags. We bought new mugs. We updated our signs. We got t-shirts for those who are serving.

It’s only ever always all about Jesus.

Our church does a breakfast in between services. So, while people are singing songs or listening to the sermons, our volunteers are setting up tables and chairs. We have people cooking pancakes to a perfect golden brown. We have the coffee brewed, the syrup warm, and the orange juice ready to go. We’ve got people to serve you when you enter and others to clean up when you leave.

It’s only ever always all about Jesus.

We updated our website. We made extra posts on social media inviting people. We made postcards. We designed handouts for parents to use in our services. We put together devotional bags for kids. We got extra volunteers for the nursery. We bought a photo backdrop. We rearranged the lobby.

It’s only ever always all about Jesus.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). That’s why we do it. At least that’s what we say. And I do think most of us mean it. But shame on us if we’re actually making it about the music. If we make it about the sermon. If we make it about the pancakes. If we make it about anything other than Jesus. This isn’t just an Easter mentality; this should be our mentality every week. Every day. Every moment.

Easter is about Jesus. We know that. But just like the Israelites throughout the entire Old Testament, we often need reminded. We need to remember that if the electric guitar snaps a string, if the preacher stumbles over his words, if the sound guy forgets to unmute, if the pancakes are only mediocre, that all is not lost. We ought to be doing our best in order to glorify God, but it doesn’t rest on us. We can’t ruin God’s plan. We can’t ruin his power. Likewise, we can’t move where he isn’t. We can’t change hearts where his Spirit is not working. He uses us; we don’t use him.

As you spend time with family and friends, as you hunt for eggs, as you go to church, as you eat the pancakes, just remember:

It’s only ever always all about Jesus.

Do you remember when you used to have to listen to the theme song of a TV show on streaming platforms? Nowadays, theme songs are often extremely short or nonexistent. But, when you turn on The Office, it gives you the option to skip the intro. It’ll also let you skip recaps. And credits. And when the series ends, it often will start a new one for you automatically.

Silence is not something that we do well. Even as I type this, I have country music playing in the background. We want information overload, whether that be news, commentary, teachings, entertainment, music, or even just white noise.

It’s no surprise that we overlook the periods of silence in the Bible. We also overlook the amount of time that God takes to fulfill his promises. Often, this is because turning a page doesn’t really reflect the length of time it took in history.

Think about it. In the first two chapters of Exodus alone, Moses is born, grows to 40 years old, flees Egypt, stays in Midian 40 years, and then experiences the burning bush when he was 80. Over 80 years passes in two chapters! But for us, it’s just the turn of a page.

This doesn’t even take into account the 400 years between Genesis 50 and Exodus 1. The turn of a page from Malachi to Matthew is another 400+ years. But we don’t usually think about it.

Maybe you’re between pages right now in your life. You can see how God has worked in the past. You trust (or at least hope) that God will work in the future. But right now, you’re the Israelite wandering in the desert, wondering when God will finally break through and turn the darn page. You want to skip the intro, play it at 2x, and move on to the next series. You don’t want to wait. You’re tired of waiting. It’s been a long month…or year…or decade.

Most every narrative in the Bible, shoot, even the whole Bible itself, didn’t move along at a pace we would have desired. Every Christian has been where we are. We are not alone. And if you’re not there right now, you will be at some point - waiting on God to turn that page.

The one thing you want to do is prayerfully ask God to turn that page, but I don’t think that is inherently the best prayer to pray. Go ahead and pray that God would turn the page, but even more so, pray that you would be faithful while you’re still on this page. Pray that God would give you opportunities to glorify him, to share his love, to know him better, to grow in faith, knowledge, and understanding.

Wait actively. Don’t just pray for God to hurry up and then sit on the couch while the sand flows through the hourglass. His timing is perfect. Our feelings are not. He’s working. Work along with him. Be faithful to him. Ask him how to be faithful in this time. He knows you think you’re ready. He’s not ready yet.

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You’ve wanted that.

You’ve wanted Moses’ story. Kind of. But not really.

Why not really? Because you think you’re better than Moses.

Have you ever noticed Moses’ reaction to the thing that we always want? His initial response is “Who am I?” (3:11). Fair question. He’s not the logical first round draft pick for this job.

Second question: “Who are you? What is your name?” (paraphrase - 3:13). Again, not a terrible question. Until this point in history, there is no personal name for God.

Third question: “What if they think I’m nuts and won’t believe me?” (4:1). Probably a fair question. Moses has been gone from Egypt for a very long time. He killed a guy. He ran and hid. And suddenly, he’s going to return after decades of running away from God’s people. Furthermore, God’s revelation here does sound pretty unbelievable considering the context and circumstances they find themselves in.

Fourth question (really more of a statement): “Me talk bad. Me can’t do thing God want me do.” (definitely not a paraphrase of 4:10). This could be a factual point, but now Moses seems to moving into excuse territory.

Let’s pause there. Perhaps the bigger point isn’t in Moses’ questions (or objections, depending how you’re looking at it), but God’s responses. There’s the initial miracle of the bush itself, but then God uses miracles in his response. He reveals not just the generalized future, but also the more immediate future in a detailed way. He tells Moses his personal name. He promises to be with Moses through it all. He promises success. And he not only listens to Moses, he responds as only a gracious, merciful, sovereign Father can do.

That’s what want. We want to ask all the questions and have God respond in these ways. Then we will be completely obedient and closer to God than ever before.

Right?

The fifth response of Moses says it all: “Please, Lord, send someone else” (actual ESV reading of 4:13).

Moses had witnessed the audible voice of God. He’d witnessed no less than four miracles with promises of more in the immediate future. He was the first person to know God’s name. He’d been chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He would later write the first five books of the Bible and would be one of the most well known men of the Bible, a man of faith so well known that even unbelievers know of him.

And his response was “Send someone else.”

You want the burning bush; I want the burning bush - because we believe that we are not like Moses. I’m not saying that you couldn’t respond differently; I’m saying that we all believe that the burning bush would make the difference because we would react in faith. Maybe that experience would change your world, but it didn’t for Moses. And I don’t believe myself to be even in the same ballpark as Moses. I would be just as fearful, just as questioning, making just as many excuses, and probably telling God to send someone else under a false blanket of humility.

Look deep into your heart and mind. What do you actually desire?

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus says of the rich man:

“‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house—because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:27-31).

At your core, do you want the signs or do you want the Father? Do you want to experience miracles, or do you want to experience God? Do you want to hear God’s voice, or do you want God to say the things you want to hear?

Do you desire the burning bush, or the God that made it burn?

I think too often Christians look at it wrong. We want to bring people up to Jesus instead of bringing him down to them. That’s the opposite of the gospel message, yet we can be so prone to do it. Instead of telling people the truth that Jesus meets them where they are, we want people to act better, and thereby, come to faith.

It’s a lie that the enemy has used since the beginning - that it’s about works. That as long as you’re “good enough” you’ll be fine. We compare ourselves to others (but only those who are “worse” than us so that we can feel better). And when we see the reality of sin in lost people, we can be too quick to condemn the sin but don’t focus on giving them the answer. We sometimes want to make bad people good instead of wanting dead people to come alive.

What if instead of trying to pull people up, we brought them Jesus where they are at? What if we could help the guy who is on drugs understand that Jesus accepts him while he’s holding that needle but loves him too much to leave him there? What if we helped open the eyes of the woman selling herself on OnlyFans to understand that Christ loves her even while she is doing those things and wants to give her freedom?

What if we approached it that way instead of (in essence) telling people to clean themselves up and get to church? What if we truly cared for people where they are at and loved them enough to walk alongside them through the dirt and grime instead of just assuming that a “real” Christian will go to this church, or go to that Bible study, or have this or that political opinion?

I’m no better. You’re no better. We’re all sinners. Some are sinners saved by grace; some are sinners condemned right now (see John 3:18). We’re commanded to come down to their level. Look at Philippians 2: “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.”

We want to pull people up to where we are. That’s not a bad thing, per se. We should want those who are lost and in rough spots to be pulled out of the pit they are in. But we can’t stand on the side lines waiting for them to climb up. We need to jump in the trenches with them and bring Jesus to them, not them to Jesus. It doesn’t work that way.

Love people where they are, not where you wish them to be. Christ did that to you; he did that to me. And he’s still doing it today.

It’s no secret that any church is one generation away from extinction. God promised that the Church will stand until his return; he did not promise that any local church will continue on until his return. Churches that seek to grow, that seek to succeed in winning souls for Christ, that want to make a difference, and that want to continue long into the future must have care for and be passionate about raising the next generation.

From experience, what I’ve witnessed is that while many churches care about reaching the next generation, they often have little concern (at least in practice) about raising up the next generation. They truly want to see kids and young adults to come to Christ, but they don’t truly want them leading the church. Really, they’d be happier conforming the next generation into their image of a church leader than they would actually raising them up into the leaders that God is calling them to be, whatever that may or may not look like.

The Church is changing. It has always been changing since its inception two millennia ago. It will continue to change. We don’t want to throw the keys to the sports car to the kids and let them wrap it around a telephone pole, but at some point someone has to teach the kids to drive. If we don’t put time and effort into helping those whom God has called become all that God has called them to be, then why should we be surprised when they don’t have the wisdom and discernment that we want them to have?

Throughout the Old Testament, God constantly used the testimony of the current generation (both good and bad) to inform the next generation. Read Psalm 78. Take a look at Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and Psalm 145:4-7. His name went forward as people passed their faith to the next generation, and his name went forward as people learned from the abysmal failures of the previous generations. He will do the same with our testimony. Which side of that story do we hope to be?

If we are only concerned about reaching the next generation for salvation but not concerned about raising up the next generation to be the next preachers, the next prayer warriors, the next worship leaders, the next evangelists, the next Sunday School teachers, the next theologians, the next elders, the next songwriters, the next biblical scholars, and the next missionaries, then we really don’t actually care about reaching the next generation. If we seek their salvation while trying to keep the control, we’re self-centered, prideful, and hypocritical.

I’m not quite 30 yet. I’m part of the “next generation” depending on how exactly we’re using that phrase. But there’s those who are even younger than me that are ready to be taught, mentored, and raised up. Whether you’re 30 or 70, we should desire to help lead the church into the future. Yet, too often, I see small flames and sparks of passion get stomped out, often inadvertently, but stomped out nonetheless, by people who don’t want to “lose” “their” church. I get it. We don’t like change. We want to push forward in the areas that have impacted us personally. We have passions based on our own life experiences. But for those like me who know that we have weaknesses and blind spots due to our lack of age and wisdom, we’re seeking people to build us up and help us grow not into who someone else wants us to be, but who God is calling us to be.

At least some of the next generation has already been reached. Now what?

I’ve started listening to a podcast called The Bully Pulpit. Per their own description, “Four conservative Christian thought leaders pull no punches in this energetic weekly show, providing clear and candid commentary on politics and culture from a biblical standpoint.” They often talk about social media and what each of them as well as other public figures posted about a certain event. A month or two ago, one of the hosts talked about how selective he is about what he will post on social media regarding current events because often what you stay silent on says as much (if not more) than what you choose to say out loud.

I just read an article yesterday critiquing John Piper for posting comments about the video put out by the Trump social media team the other day while staying completely silent about the chaos going on in his hometown of Minneapolis, including the storming of the church where many of his seminary professors and students are members. I don’t know what his intentions were, but at least to some people, the fact that he said anything meant far more than what he said.

I notice a lot of people whose silence says far more than their speaking. They are all for criticizing the president over every minute detail…as long as it isn’t their guy. I see this on both sides of the spectrum. When it’s their guy, he’s basically Jesus. They are all for peace and unity…until you correct their political philosophy. And it doesn’t have to be a matter of politics. Sometimes simply what one person really cares about as opposed to something that just doesn’t apply directly to them can make that difference as to whether one speaks out or stays silent.

Social media has drawn lines. When we talk face to face with people, we inevitably cannot talk about everything that matters in the world. There’s never enough time. However, to those who are constantly posting their opinions for the world to see on X, there’s always room to post about every current thing, or so it seems.

Proverbs 17 says, “The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding. Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—discerning, when he seals his lips.”

Social media is just shouting opinions to the world; there’s no real conversation with others. There is usually little gain by making a post. The point is not that we should stay silent or that we should always be speaking. The point is that we must have wisdom. Wisdom to know when to speak and when to stay silent. Wisdom to know what to speak. How to speak. When to speak. How to be silent on purpose.

We all need wisdom. Are you asking God for it?

Now, hear me out, neither is wrong to pray for. It’s not wrong to pray that someone gets into a better financial situation by means of stewardship and wisdom. It’s neither wrong to pray that God intervenes in a miraculous way to help pull someone out of the pit they are in. God works in both ways. There’s times when I pray that God works through people and there’s times that I pray that he bypasses morons like me and fixes the situation himself.

It’s dangerous to put God in a box and think he only ever speaks in a still, soft voice (1 Kings 19) or that it’s always a “feeding the 5000” miracle. Look at the Bible. There are times when God bursts onto the scene and there’s other times where he’s working in ways that no one would expect. The reason that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, i.e. Caesar Augustus’s census, can be traced back to Julius Caesar. It’s an interesting story. But had he not started the chain of causality, the census would not have been declared, and Jesus would not have been born in Bethlehem. But God was at work in very non-miraculous ways. I worked for the U.S. Census in 2020…there’s nothing miraculous about a census.

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Look at Genesis 40. Joseph was in prison with the chief baker and chief cupbearer. Upon interpreting the cupbearer’s dream that Pharaoh would restore him, Joseph tells the cupbearer, “But when all goes well for you, remember that I was with you. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison” (v. 14). At the end of the chapter we learn, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him” (v. 23).

God was at work. He brought Joseph out of prison no shorter than two years later at what we can see was the perfect time. Joseph trusted God throughout his life in a way and depth that I wish I could. But he didn’t sit in jail and pray for a miraculous jail escape. I’m sure he was praying to leave the jail. He also told the cupbearer to remember him so that he could leave jail.

My point is, Genesis does not condemn Joseph for asking the cupbearer to put in the good word with Pharaoh. In fact, the cupbearer does remember Joseph two years later - all according to God’s perfect timing. The entire story of the Bible would be different if Joseph was released from jail earlier. Did he remember Joseph because Joseph asked him to? I’d say yes. Did he remember Joseph because God was working? Also yes.

Pray. Pray for God to work. Pray for what you want. But don’t put God in a box. Don’t believe the lie that God must work through wondrous spectacles. Don’t believe the lie that God will only work through his created natural order. God answers prayers in HIS ways and HIS timing. We shouldn’t want it any other way.

Too many new year’s resolutions stem from people being unhappy with themselves and thinking that making one change will solve the problem(s). It might make an impact, but it will not be a total solution. It’s because we often try to mask the symptom rather than solve the core issue. Let me prove it to you.

According to Daniel Im, one of our problems are that we focus only on output goals rather than input goals. We need both. An output goal could be engaging with the Bible. Input goals could be reading the Bible, studying the Bible, confession of sins, reading books about spiritual growth, and making a decision to obey God even if it might cost you.

Input goals directly affect the score of the output goals. If you do those things regularly, you will definitely be engaging with the Bible more. If you only set the output goal and ignore the input goals, the result will be little at best. If your new year’s resolution is to engage with the Bible more (which is the actual output goal people mean when they say “I want to read the Bible more” - most everyone does not mean they want to read it more like they want to read the news more - they want to engage with it) then there must be input goals or else the output goals will not happen.

What if instead of saying, “I want to read the Bible more next year,” you said, “I’m going to wake up 15 minutes early twice a week for the first three months and read through the book of John”? And then after three months decided that though you read it, there’s a lot you didn’t understand. So, for the next three months, you decide to keep the rhythm and the book of John, but added Tom Wright’s John for Everyone or Josh Moody’s John for You to study the book more and gain some understanding. What if you repeated either of those in community with a select couple of people?

Do you see the difference? Reading (just reading) the Bible in 2026 is not going to turn you into the person you want to be or make God answer your prayers in the ways you want. Reading the Bible like your favorite novel won’t have a large impact on your faith. That said, simply deciding to read the Bible at all might be a good and necessary step in your faith. But if you want to be a “better” Christian (how about saying, rather, you want a deeper relationship with Christ?), yes, you need to be in the Word, but you need to be be in intentional community with other believers. You need to confess sin regularly. You need to share the love of Christ. You need to obey God and make that decision daily to follow him. There’s more than one piece of the puzzle, but, you have to start somewhere.

By all means, let’s start realistic habits in January. It’s a good time to start. But let’s recognize that a simple change won’t turn our lives around in three weeks. Starting positive habits and stopping negative ones will change your life over time. Sometimes those just happen based on life’s circumstances. Look back at the past three years. What changed for the better? Now, how could have that changed more if you had intentionally made habitual choices?

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…” Don’t try to change your life overnight. Do the work so that God can transform you from one degree of glory to another.

Another year is almost gone. Where would you like to be this time next year?

The first two verses go like this:

Rudolph was under the weather
And had to call in sick
So, he got on the horn to his cousin Leroy
Who lived out in the sticks
He said, “Santa’s really counting on me
And I hate to pass the buck”
Leroy said, “Hey, I’m on my way”
And he jumped in his pick-up truck

When Leroy got to the North Pole
All the reindeer snickered and laughed
They never seen a deer in overalls
And a John Deere trucker hat
Well, Santa stepped in and said, “Just calm down
‘Cause we all got a job to do
And like it or not, Leroy’s in charge
And he’s gonna be leading you”

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I grew up in a town of 500. I knew a lot of people who were Leroys. You know, the guys you debate about calling for help because you know they’ll be over in 10 mins to help with the question you only really needed answered over the phone. The ones who would give the shirt off their back. The ones who definitely have better things to do but choose to come help anyway. And half the time, you realized that the phone call definitely wouldn’t have been enough anyway because you’re a moron when it comes to plumbing.

But no one dreams of being Leroy. No leadership books or podcasts teach you how to be Leroy. They’re teaching you how to be Rudolph. How can you be THE guy? How can you overcome adversity and lead people? How can you solve the problems? How can you gain influence?

Now there’s nothing wrong with Rudolph. If it weren’t for him, the Charlie in the Box would still be stuck on the island of misfit toys. We need Rudolphs in this life. But we need far more Leroys.

Think back to those who have had the biggest influence on you in a moment. Those who have helped make your life what it is. Those who helped you when you were stuck. Those who might have literally helped you out of the snow bank you were stuck in. How many Leroys compared to how many Rudolphs?

For me, there’s definitely some powerhouse leaders on that list. But I can name far more stories of people whose names you’ll never know that helped me when I needed help. Those that said the right thing when I was down for the count. Those that gave up their Saturday project to help with mine. Those that listened to me complain about my struggles while they were dealing with things far more severe.

Be who God made you. If you have a flashing red nose, don’t try to be a reindeer in overalls. If God made you to wear a John Deere trucker hat, don’t be frustrated that you aren’t (usually) hooked to the front of the sleigh. But whichever you are, be the one to say “Hey I’m on my way and he jumped in his pickup truck.” That’s how you make a difference. Whether you’re a great leader or more of a follower, people will remember you for how you responded when they got on the horn.

Maybe that’s kinda what Jesus meant when he said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).

It’s Christmas, y’all. Make it merry.

I’m not going to dive into my thoughts on this ridiculous politicization of the incarnation of Christ (I think Not the Bee does that well enough), but I do want to comment on the immigration issue today. It seems like every couple of days there is another headline about something immigration related. As a pastor, I can tell you, the church is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Read what I’m about to write as I write it; don’t read your own opinions into it or make it more than what it says.

People who immigrate to the US illegally have broken the law. Per Merriam-Webster, they are criminals by definition. The government has an biblical obligation to punish wrongdoing (see Romans 13). Whether the Trump administration is doing it well can be debated, but that they should be solving the immigration crisis that was blown wide open by the last administration should not be a debate.

But let’s look to the church. What does the Bible say?

• “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

• “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9).

• “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever” (Jeremiah 7:5-7).

These are just three examples of what the Bible commands regarding foreigners. There are plenty of others. These passages have a clear message: treat the immigrant well. They’re image bearers of God just like everyone else. These verses do not say that the church should oppose ICE. These verses do not say that the church should hide those who are illegal from law enforcement. These verses do not say that the church should lobby against immigration law.

Satan is crafty. Issues like immigration are not black and white. He makes the church think they are simple two sided issues where you can be either right or wrong. How we treat the immigrant is a completely different issue than what the legal enforcement of immigration law ought to be. The church is told to love the foreigner. The government is told to punish evil. The church is supposed to be subject to the government (unless it is trying to force the church to disobey God). It’s complex when these issues are at the forefront.

Can the church love the illegal immigrant while acknowledging that what that person is doing is illegal and is subject to punishment? Yes. I heard from a pastor friend a story of how an illegal immigrant started coming to his church and was soon a disciple of Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicted him, and he voluntarily returned to his country and started the process of coming here legally. If I remember the story right, he lives in America as a citizen today.

I think that sums up where I think the church ought to be on many issues today - love people while calling sin sin. That church’s desire was to see a lost man come to God. They also were not willing to call his sin righteous or justified. They didn’t hide him from law enforcement. But they didn’t throw him out because of his legal status. Jesus matters more.

Treat the immigrant well, as the Bible commands. Also, subject yourself to the laws and leaders that the Bible says God has put in authority over us. People, laws, politics, and philosophy are different things. We can have a loving predisposition towards a person while holding what some might call an opposing philosophical view that puts us on the other side of the political aisle.

Don’t equate faith and politics. Not everything is black and white. Start seeing reality in color.

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Whether it’s serving in an official church team context or helping out a friend in need, do we see serving as a chore? Obviously, we wouldn’t admit it, but I fear too many people do. For those who need recognition, for those who need thanked, for those who need to always see the concrete difference their time is making - I think at least some, if not most, may view it as a chore.

Serving in the church takes time, energy, preparation, sometimes money, and a willingness to do so. It can take a lot out of you. Why are we serving? Do we do it with joy because we are serving a great and mighty King, or because we want more authority and control? So that we can spread God’s love through the ways he has gifted us, or so that we can be hold some sort of power within some little area of the church organization?

I think that’s why they say that 20% of the people in the church do 80% of the work. Those who see serving as a chore instead of an overflow of God’s love are going to be worse at serving. They might be less willing. They might give the bare minimum. They might walk in not prepared whatsoever. Those who serve with a sense of “I get to do this” instead of a “I have to do this” will serve with a full heart. They will serve as they are able. They will do it with a smile on their face. They will give the church more than what the church asks for. Because it’s not about the chore. It’s not about the project. It’s about serving God.

Faith shouldn’t be a job. We all have to do certain things we don’t want to do at times we don’t prefer. That’s fine. Sometimes I’m not feeling it on a Sunday morning, either. But if every “Christian” thing to do is a job, we need to check out hearts.

Yes, I’m a pastor. Yes, that happens to me too.

The problem lies not with the Bible, but the ways we interact (or choose not to interact) with it. Furthermore, it’s a problem not just with our Bibles, but with most materials we interact with these days. Rather than digging deep into what we read or watch, we simply consume and then move on with our days. We don’t ask questions. We don’t get curious.

A video popped up on YouTube yesterday from Tucker Carlson titled What’s Going on with Ben Shapiro? Tucker Explains. There’s a whole thing going on right now with Tucker giving air time to people that Ben Shapiro considers to be quite evil people. That’s all I’ll say about it - look into it if you want. I didn’t bother watching the video, but I did click on it just to look at the comments. It took me quite some time to find one that actually questioned whatever Tucker had said instead of just ripping into Ben Shapiro. Again, I don’t know what all the video entailed, but you’re telling me that literally 99%+ of the comments I saw just took Tucker at his word and didn’t even bother asking a question?

If we’re honest, I think a lot of us are there. And I think that’s why at times we don’t find the Bible interesting. We lost our curiosity. We lost our ability to question. We lost the desire or ability to think for ourselves.

Just the other day I was reading through Genesis 17. I wrote down a couple questions: Is there any later biblical significance to the 12 princes promised to Ishmael? If “Sarah” is simply a different spelling for Sarai, both the Hebrew word for princess, why change her name?

I actually took the time to find some answers to my questions. Were those answers life changing? No. Could I have gone my whole life without knowing the answers? Yes. But that’s not the point. The point is, if we stop being curious, if we stop asking questions, if we stop interacting, if we turn the Bible into something we just snack on to check that box of being a good Christian, then we will never find it fulfilling.

So, next time you read the Bible, read it with curiosity and read until you have a question. Then, take time to search for answers. And if you need help, reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you understand God’s Word a little better today than you did yesterday.

First, there’s a problem with the fact that 50 million Americans are being roped in and rely on these government programs. I think most people would find it good for the government to offer some sort of temporary assistance for those who need money for food, especially when children are involved. The fact that nearly 15% of the country is on these programs show that it’s not a program to help people get back on their feet, but has been engineered to make people rely on the government.

It also shows that it isn’t actually helping. It isn’t helping people progress. It isn’t helping people become self-sufficient. The fact that people are talking about SNAP money being “taken away” shows that there is an understanding that a monthly check is earned or deserved - not that it’s a temporary help. This is not only a foolish use of government funds (coming in at $8 billion per month), but it isn’t actually helping most people in the long run.

Not all people are abusing the system, obviously. There are plenty of people who need help. Which brings up the other half of the equation. Christians should not have the mindset of “people should get a job” when we’re talking about these benefits ending. That philosophy might hold, generally speaking, concerning a large percentage of people on these programs, but that doesn’t change what is happening this week when these funds that people expected to receive will dry up.

Deuteronomy 15:11 - “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’”

Proverbs 22:9 - “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”

Proverbs 14:31 - “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

Luke 3:11 - “And [Jesus] answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’”

The Bible is clear that we are to help the poor and hungry. It’s despicable that the Democrats on Capitol Hill are outright saying that they’ll use hunger as a bargaining chip to get what they want. That should anger you regardless which side you claim.

The Church should be part of the solution, not the problem. These programs are bloated and need a complete overhaul. That won’t be fixed overnight, if ever. In the meantime, help those who are struggling. Whether or not one should rely on a government program is irrelevant when you have come to rely on that money to help put food on the table next week. Let’s help people get out of reliance on the government, sure, but that won’t happen instantly.

Give to a food pantry. Give to your church to help those who might be reaching out for help in the next week. Give some money to local ministries who are built to help people in this way. People don’t want a Jesus who tells them to “get a job” in the midst of their hunger. They want a Jesus who truly cares for them even if their situation is entirely their own dumb fault. Which Jesus are you showing others?

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I was reading Genesis 3 this morning. If you have made a habit of reading the Bible, this is probably one of those chapters you breeze through without much deep consideration. It’s one of those passages we’ve heard many times in the church.

As I read it this morning, the verses that struck me were vv. 12-13:

“The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’” The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”

If you’ve ever heard this passage preached, the preacher has likely made comments about the blame shifting in these two verses. I’ve heard it preached that way. But is that necessarily the case? What both Adam and Eve say to God is factually true - the serpent deceived Eve, Eve ate, gave the fruit to Adam, and then he ate.

I do think that both Adam and Eve are trying to shift the blame to someone else, but to make the argument that they must be doing so is probably overstated. There’s a tone that we read into the text. In my mind, the first phrase that Adam says is passive-aggressive towards God. But, as we all know by reading tones into a text message, sometimes the voice we read with is not the voice it was spoken with.

It made me think, how often do I make broad assumptions based on a tone or intention that may not exist? When someone offers a critique of me, regardless of their intention, do I default to thinking that this person is trying to help me, or do I want to smack them upside the head for daring to find any fault with the perfect job I am obviously doing?

I’ve found that so many arguments/debates/discussions could be resolved if we would just define the words we use and clarify the tone that we might not even know we are using. A pastor I listen to says that he likes to use the phrase “Here’s the story I’m telling myself” when he has negative feelings towards what others are saying. For example, “Here’s the story I’m telling myself: you don’t think I am capable of doing this project and you are rooting for me to fail.”

He said he has never once used that statement and had anyone tell him his assessment is correct. They always correct their tone, clarify what they meant, and often turn and encourage him. That will never happen if we would rather burn in anger based on assumptions. Some people are jerks and are not worthy of our trust, but let’s judge that based on truth, not on assumed tone and intent.

What might change if just this week you and I decided to care about people enough to ask them about their tone, the words they chose, or clarify what they meant? What if we gave people the dignity we often don’t receive? What if we chose to not be offended just because of the way something comes across?

“Here’s the story I’m telling myself…”

In the first half of the chapter, Paul talks through the disagreements people have regarding rules of the faith. His point is to basically not let differences in what you eat cause division in the body. If some eat meat and others do not due a theological difference, that is fine, but neither side should look down on the other.

In the second half, Paul focuses on love. We should not be judging each other, but seeking to love each other, to build each other up, and to pursue peace.

I truly believe that one of the greatest enemies of the church is the church. Satan is crafty. He can do much more damage using people within the church and infiltrating it form the inside. Sure, he attacks it from the outside as well, but I think often times, more damage is done when he uses people’s flaws and sinful nature who are already part of the crowd.

Because of our sinful nature, we are naturally bent against unity and love. In our pride, we’d rather judge others, puff out our chests, and tell others why our way is best. We want to look down on others to make ourselves feel better. Or, we feel the need to judge others because they don’t fit nicely with our personal convictions and interpretations of the Bible.

As my church is going through a transitional period while we wait on God for a new senior pastor, it’s easy to focus on the structures, processes, programs, etc. rather than love. It’s easy to have tunnel vision and see the church like a business rather than a community of faith. It’s easy to argue about details instead of seeing the big picture.

God’s call on our lives is not to lead a program, to lead a Bible study, to teach others the Bible, or to stack chairs after service. He calls us first and foremost to love others. To love those who are less than. To love those who are dirty. To love those who are difficult. He might call us thereby to lead a Bible study because we love people who need it. We might be called to be on the worship team because we love people and want to help them experience God’s presence in song. He might call us to help kids because we love them.

Doing what we want, or what we think God is calling us to do without love is at the best, pointless and at the worst, damaging. Paul makes this evident in 1 Corinthians 13. My prayer is that we, the Church, would stand during this difficult time in American history and love each other, pushing each other towards Christ, and fight back against the urge to fight and divide. There’s no division in God. Neither should there be in us.

I think I know the heart of the answer, and it really comes down to an understanding of identity.

First, they understand a person’s worth as what a person says, does, and believes. Genesis 1 says that God created man in his image. Thus, God’s image and the worth he places on man is part of our identity regardless how we act, what we look like, whether or not we believe in the Bible, etc. But, when you understand a person’s worth as a sum of what they are rather than who they are, it makes sense to hate those who espouse that which you deem evil. If people don’t have value placed on them by the creator God, then what is the loss when someone you despise dies? Why not act in despicable ways, as that young man did?

Second, they understand one’s identity to be what one claims it to be. As a Christian, I understand that everyone has struggles and sinfulness that are a result of the Fall in Genesis 3, not a matter of someone’s identity. God did not create people with the identity of a drunk. In a sense, no one is a drunk, but rather, people who struggle (or just give in) with drunkenness. We don’t (or shouldn’t) identify people by their sins. The whole gospel message is that Jesus came to unshackle us from our sin. Romans 7 and 8 spell this out clearly. But on the other hand, if one believes that their homosexual tendencies are the core of their identity instead of a detail about them, then there is reason why they would be angry and celebrate people who they understand to be stomping on their identity.

Third, they understand this life to be the whole story. Face it, if you believe that there is a heaven and hell, you will live life differently than if you think the whole thing ends at death. If there is no redemption, no justice, no judgement, no reward, literally nothing when this life ends, then everything hinges on what happens while I’m alive. If I have no future hope of Christ’s return, then why shouldn’t I celebrate when those whom I disagree with are silenced?

I’m not defending anyone. If you celebrate an assassination, don’t look to me to come to your defense for spreading hate and evil. But if we want to be able to do what Charlie Kirk did and understand the other side, and more importantly, engage in conversation with people whom we disagree, then we need to understand the core of the problems, not just the symptoms.

In fact, other than the clips I saw from time to time, I only intentionally listened to his podcast once or twice. I wrongfully associated him with some others on the right whom I really do not appreciate and figured he was part of the same crowd. It wasn’t until after his assassination that I realized how wrong I was.

I saw two different clips of Charlie in the days after his death that really struck me. First, he was asked if he ever fears for his own security at his events. The typical Christian response would be something along the lines of “No, because God will keep me safe.” Charlie answered no, but for an entirely different reason. He said that when he walked through the gates of heaven, he didn’t want God asking him why he cowered in fear instead of fulfilling the calling he had placed on his life. He never claimed that he would be safe, nor gave some Christian-ese answer about trusting in God.

The second was a question about why he hated the LGBT crowd. His response was essentially “How can I hate the people that I love so much to do events like this specifically to point them to the hope of Jesus?”

The more I’ve seen, the more I wish I would have listened to him.

Just as interesting to me has been the reaction to his death. People have shown their true colors. When you heard that he was murdered, you had one of two responses: you were angry, or you were not angry.

To those who were not angry: Why were you not angry at the immorality, at the evil that took place? Romans 1:18 says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” If something angers God, it should anger us too. We must not sin in our anger (Ephesians 4:26), but we must not just ignore evil.

It sickens me to see people who have celebrated his death. I don’t care if you disagreed with every single thing he said. To celebrate the murder of those expressing opposing views, to celebrate a school shooting, to celebrate death, and to celebrate the fact that his wife is now a widow and his two children who will now grow up without a father is absolutely despicable.

To those who were angry: What exactly were you angry about? Are you angry because your guy is no longer here? Because a conservative voice is now gone? Are you angry because God took away the man you were giving a messiah complex? There are good things to be angry about. There are also bad reasons to be angry.

I’ve heard several political commentators (who I tend to like, for the record) who have reacted in sinful anger, seemingly using this as the launching platform against their political enemies. Those who are claiming that it’s time to start fighting back - NO. Jesus healed the soldier’s ear when Peter cut it off. We fight back, but not fire with fire. Paul tells us to “Fight the good fight of the faith” in 1 Timothy 6:12, but we don’t fight with anger and rage.

Charlie Kirk wanted to change the culture, but he realized there is only one way to do it. Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote of Charlie Kirk:

I first met Charlie Kirk several years ago when we were both addressing a major conference of conservatives. Backstage, I was impressed by his gifts but turned off by his demeanor. That was during Charlie’s years of bare-fisted libertarianism and personal assertion. Back then, he saw Christianity as a huge drag on conservative progress. He was pretty clear in calling for a new young conservatism of liberty and resistance. At the time, he didn’t have a lot of use for conservative Christians, and he wasn’t subtle.

Not long thereafter, Charlie embraced two things that had been missing from his earlier approach. He openly and boldly claimed the gospel of Christ and courageously identified himself as a Christian believer. He also began to argue with consistency that a recovery of Christian truth was essential for a lasting conservatism. He was right.

(from Albert Mohler, A Most Tragic Turning Point)

Charlie came to realize that Jesus is what matters first and foremost. We cannot change the world for the better without Christ. Without Christ, what is “better”?

He was asked less than three months before his death how he would want to be remembered if he died. His answer was, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing; most important thing is my faith."

This was not just a matter of politics; this is a spiritual matter. The spiritual world is alive and very active. Are we going to stand up, go into the uncomfortable places, talk with those most opposed, or are we going to sit back and wait for someone else to do what God is calling each and every one of us to do?

Charlie is gone. God will use his calling on Charlie’s life to have an even bigger impact through his death than if he were still here. Will we answer the call to be a part of that impact?