In the summer after my 7th grade year, I took part in the Foothill community production of “Fiddler on the Roof”.  I played an ensemble role as one of the sons in a Jewish community.  I have some poignant memories from it: the lead role of Tevye being played by a friendly older man who was a chain-smoker, some other kids my age joking around a bit backstage, and a demanding director who would at times need to harshly reprimand us.  On one performance night, I remember coming out in the opening sequence without my hat.  It was quite a fearful moment; I thought I would be dropped from the show.  Ironically, the choreography had me circling at the front of the stage just as Tevye delivered the line “We always keep our heads covered”.  Later on, I heard that my director just laughed at that.  It’s community theatre, after all.

Fast forward 28 years.  A new community theatre group in Sanger, where I was serving as music director, decided to put on Fiddler on the Roof as its inaugural show.  I auditioned, expecting to be cast in a minor role, since my background was primarily in music with little acting experience.  Well, as the only guy over 25 who could sing well enough and pull off a convincing beard, I was asked to take the lead role, Tevye.  It was a pretty overwhelming learning experience, but my whole family got to be in the production with me, which certainly helped.
 
During the same opening monologue, when I definitely made sure I wore my hat this time, Tevye says the following: “We always keep our heads covered…this shows our constant devotion to God.  You may ask, how did this tradition get started?  I’ll tell you.  I don’t know.  But it’s a tradition.  And because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is, and what God expects him to do.”  Throughout the show, these traditions are tested as three of his five daughters get married in tradition-bending kinds of ways.  The third daughter actually marries outside of the faith.  Tevye wrestles before God with the choice between turning his back on his daughter and turning his back on his faith and people.  Ultimately, he says, “If I try to bend that far, I will break.”

Part of the appeal of the story, even for those without a faith background, is how a community and its traditions are tested from one generation to another.  And through that struggle, we can gain wisdom as we begin to understand the underlying purposes and meaning of the traditions we hold to.  Scripture also gives us reason to examine these traditions.  Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for "laying aside the commandment of God" while holding to the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). Of course, traditions themselves aren't necessarily bad. In fact, Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers to "stand firm, and hold to the traditions which you were taught" (2 Thess. 2:15).  These were teachings handed down with apostolic authority, grounded in God's truth.  In humility together before God, we should examine whether we've lost sight of the reasons behind them, or perhaps even elevated the traditions themselves above the truths they were meant to reflect.

Throughout the story, Tevye faces challenges that bring him to reconsider his thinking.  At one point, he decides that his first daughter's love for a poor tailor is more important than the traditional matchmaking arrangement with a wealthy butcher.  Later in the story, the entire community is uprooted by government-sanctioned persecution.  The rabbi’s son tells Tevye, “Our forefathers have been forced out of many, many places at a moment’s notice.”  Tevye replies, “Maybe that’s why we always wear our hats.”  Although delivered humorously, this always struck me as a fitting way to tie the whole show together.  He didn't understand why before…and now that tradition takes on a deeper meaning for him.

As Christians, we have inherited much from those who have gone before us: teaching and traditions that have been passed down through generations.  Psalm 78 speaks of declaring the works of God to the next generation, so "that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments" (Ps.78:7).  What a wonderful reminder that the goal isn't simply to pass on what we do, but to help others understand the God we serve and why we serve Him.  And in all this, the primary focus is to know and love Christ more and to reflect Him to the world.

As Tevye says in his opening monologue, it's important to know who we are and what God expects us to do. But even more importantly, may we grow to understand “the why”, and come to know more deeply the Lord who calls us to follow Him.

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

I still remember vividly the exact moment I received some of the most crippling news of my life. My wife, Alexis, called me to tell me that the lump she’d had biopsied days earlier was, in fact, cancerous. It was the kind of call that leaves you breathless—a sudden punch to the gut that instantly resets every priority in your life. In the passage, Job experiences an even more unimaginable loss: a relentless cascade of tragic news arrives declaring his livestock, his servants, and all ten of his children have been wiped out in a single day. Yet, in the depth of raw, shattering grief, Job doesn't curse God or grasp frantically for control. Instead, he falls to the ground and strips away the illusion that any material thing in this world was truly his to begin with.

Not a day goes by where our culture doesn’t exert a relentless pressure on us to accumulate _ to buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t know. We seem to be conditioned to attach our identity, security, and even our peace of mind to temporary possessions, titles, and life circumstances that can vanish in a single moment or phone call. But Job reminds us of an ultimate reality: we enter this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. Everything between our first breath and our last is on loan from God.

When we hold tightly to material things, earthly comforts, or even our preferred life outcomes, every loss or setback feels like an existential threat. “Who am I if I don’t have these things?” “What is my life if it doesn’t go the way I planned?” But when we learn to live with open hands, recognizing that our ultimate security rests in the faithful hands of our Creator, our perspective shifts entirely. Holding earthly things loosely frees us to hold tightly to Jesus. When becoming like Him is our highest priority, hard circumstances lose their power to dismantle our faith. Six years from that terrifying call, Alexis is cancer-free. Yet every October, I’m reminded that whether we are walking through the valley of the shadow or standing on the mountaintop of praise, God remains steadfast and worthy of our trust; blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Response: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the ways I seek identity, comfort, and security in temporary things. Loosen my grip on the stuff of this world, and anchor my heart in Your eternal presence. Teach me to live with open hands, praising Your name in every season. Amen.

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

I’m a runner. Well, actually, more of a jogger, or even shuffler. But I enjoy running. My favorite time to run is in the mornings. I get up, get on my running clothes and shoes, grab my iPod and headphones, and head for the trail. When the mornings are dark, I also put on a head lamp to light the trail so I don’t trip, and to alert bike riders to my presence. I don’t want to get run over.

It reminds me of a great verse from Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:1 – "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

For me to run with endurance, I have to have to get off any extra weight. That’s why when I run I try to wear the lightest clothes possible. I won’t put on a sweatshirt until it hits the 40’s. And I won’t put sweats over my shorts until it hits the 30’s. I’ll even buy running shoes that are light weight, because I don’t even want extra weight on my feet when I run. I want to get to my pace quickly and maintain it for the entire run. Running is hard enough, I don’t want anything bogging me down or slowing me down.

The writer of Hebrews is using running as a metaphor for living the Christian life. It’s like running a race. We are all disciples (followers) of Christ. And a disciple tries to become like the one they are following. So as Christians, the goal of discipleship is to become like Christ. We strive, like a runner, to every day become more like Him.

Three things to think about from Hebrews 12:1

1. You are not running alone
There is a huge cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Hebrews 11 lists the past heroes of the faith (like Abraham and Moses) who trusted God through deep trials and challenges as they ran this race. They’ve already finished their race. And we can think of them as being in the stands cheering us on to the finish.

2. Lay aside every encumbrance
A runner strips off the weights. He will shed heavy coats and excess gear before a race. And as we grow in Christ, the ‘weights’ represent sin which so easily entangles us. While we are running, the evil one loves to try and trip us up. He tempts us in an area of weakness and if we sin, we stumble and fall. But this ‘weight’ can also represent anxiety, over-commitment, grief, and other distractions that sap our energy. Before a race a runner wants to get good sleep, eat a good meal, and do a proper warm up. He or she does everything she can to remove every possible barrier to running the race well. So strip off the ‘weight’ of sin and other distractions.

3. Run with endurance
There are two different kinds of races, sprints and long distance. Following Jesus is not a sprint, it’s a long distance race, like a marathon. After you came to Christ, you probably got off to a fast start. You were reading your Bible every day, going to church every Sunday, and taking every possible opportunity to serve. But then as time passed, you realized you couldn’t keep that pace for the long haul, and you dialed it back. Running with endurance means we have daily quiet time with God in His Word and prayer, and we follow Him faithfully, step-by-step, every single day. It’s not a burst of intensity, it is a steady, slow, enduring run toward the finish line.

So in this race, take time with God in His Word daily. Rid yourselves of the extra weights that encumber. And realize you’ve got a cloud of witnesses cheering you on. And never give up.

Run the Race!

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

Growing up, I often thought about my own mortality. Even now, at 28 years old, I find myself thinking about how quickly time passes. In May 2027, it will have been ten years since I graduated from high school. It's hard to believe how quickly life keeps moving!

One of my favorite Switchfoot songs growing up was Gone. In the song, lead singer Jon Foreman reflects on how quickly our days pass and challenges listeners to consider what really matters in life.

I've even noticed how quickly time has passed during my time at Campus Bible Church. It's hard to believe I've already been on staff for about ten months! As I reflect on the passing of time, I'm reminded that Scripture, the ultimate authority for our lives, gives us wisdom about how we should live the days God has given us.

Psalm 90 marks an interesting beginning to Book Four of the Psalms. Throughout Book Three, we encounter difficult questions about suffering, God's apparent absence, and the hardships His people experience. Then, in Psalm 90, Moses draws our attention to something every human being must confront: the brevity of life.

Psalm 90:10 says:
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” (ESV)

Moses reminds us that our lives are short and often filled with hardship. No matter how long we live, our days on this earth are limited.

That might sound discouraging, but I believe there is great wisdom and hope in recognizing the brevity of our lives. When we understand that our days are numbered, we can begin to see each day as a gift from God.

Numbering our days isn't simply about recognizing that life is short. It's about learning to live wisely, trusting God with the time He has given us.

One of the most encouraging truths of Scripture is that God is at work in the lives of His people, even when we cannot see what He is doing.

Romans 8:28–29 reminds us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. That good is ultimately connected to our becoming more like Jesus Christ.

God uses both the highs and lows of our lives to shape us into the image of His Son.

Sometimes, though, we expect that if we're following Jesus faithfully and avoiding obvious sin, our lives should be relatively free from hardship. But Scripture never promises us a life without suffering.

Consider Jesus Himself. Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, yet He experienced rejection, isolation, sorrow, and suffering. He understands what it means to walk through hardship.

Our circumstances may change, but God's character never does.

One thing I appreciate most about the Psalms is their honesty. The writers don't pretend that life is always easy. express sorrow, frustration, fear, and even questions about God's apparent absence.

Yet time and time again, the Psalms call God's people to remember His faithfulness.

I believe one of the clearest signs of spiritual maturity is learning to trust God even when our feelings tell us otherwise. This doesn't mean our feelings are unimportant. Instead, our confidence in God's goodness must rest on His character and promises, not our changing emotions.

So, let me leave you with this encouragement.

If you're in a season where you can clearly see God's goodness and feel His presence, praise Him!

But if you're in a season where God feels distant, where life is difficult, or where you're struggling to understand what He's doing, I want to encourage you to keep trusting Him.
Our days may be numbered, but our God is eternal.

May we learn to number our days, not with fear of how quickly time passes, but with hearts of wisdom that trust the God who holds every one of them.

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

When I was about nine years old, a neighborhood friend of mine probably saved my life.  It was a beautiful sunny day during summer vacation. Steven and I were sitting on top of a block wall talking when, all of a sudden, I lost my balance and fell over backward like Humpty Dumpty.  But somehow Steven managed to grab my legs and pin me to the wall. I was literally hanging upside down, ready to plummet to the ground, but Steven saved me.

Stories like that make me wonder what it was like for Jesus growing up as a boy in Nazareth.  Skinned knees, funny stories, favorite toys, chores, annoying brothers and sisters, taking care of pets.  I bet Jesus even had a best friend growing up, just like the rest of us.

But what happened to those friends when he got older and started his public ministry?  In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus gives eight rapid-fire back-to-back parables about the kingdom of heaven, and then suddenly in verse 54, it says he went to his hometown – Nazareth.  I wonder why?

Maybe he was exhausted and needed some rest.  Maybe he missed his mother and yearned for a home-cooked meal.  Maybe he wanted to catch up with his old friends and encourage their souls.  But they were nowhere to be found.

When Jesus entered the synagogue to teach, Matthew says the people of Nazareth were astonished (v. 54) and took offense at him (v. 57).

They were thinking, “Who does this guy think he is – the Messiah?  He’s no better than us.  We grew up with him.  Don’t you remember little Jesus?  He’s the carpenter’s son!”

There’s an old saying that’s very apropos at this point.  It’s familiarity breeds contempt.  In other words, the closer we are to someone or something, the more likely we are to take them for granted.

Upon closer inspection, this story is not just about the unbelieving people of Nazareth.  It’s about us!  Because the truth is many of us take Jesus for granted every day.  We’ve grown up with him as it were, and we’ve grown so accustomed to him that we’ve ceased to stand in awe and wonder of his friendship.  Our prayer lives are anemic.  We struggle to read the Word.  We’d rather watch TV than go to church.  And when Jesus stands up to preach, I wonder if any of us are astonished and take offense at him?

Don’t let the Nazareth Effect take place in your life.  Don’t take Jesus for granted today.  Don’t overlook him, underestimate him, ignore him, or undervalue him.  Instead, look upon him with fresh eyes, fresh wonder, and fresh appreciation.  When he returns home to Nazareth and comes knocking on your door, let him in and spend time with him – like a childhood friend that you can’t wait to see.

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

“Forgive and forget”. Doesn’t God do this when we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness? Jeremiah 31:34 finishes with “…for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Certainly this verse and Isaiah 43:25 are adequate support for the old adage “Forgive and Forget”. To this I would have to say “yes” and “no”. “Yes” because God does forgive sins. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But “no” to the idea that God forgets sins. Don’t worry, I wholeheartedly agree with the thought that sins forgiven by God are as good as forgotten. See the way others describe how God treats forgiven sins:

In Isaiah 38:17, Hezekiah’s praise to God includes, “…It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Micah 7:19, “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their (our) sins into the depths of the sea.”

When God forgives, He doesn’t turn around and retrieve sins He’s cast behind His back. He doesn’t put on SCUBA gear, dive into the depths of the sea and bring our forgiven sins back up to us. When He forgives, He does not, nor will not, remember our sin. At least, in my understanding of Isaiah 43:25, He does not remember our forgiven sins as something to be held against us.

As for my “no” to the idea that God forgets sins, our Bible would look quite different if God forgot all the sins He ever forgave. Scripture has plenty of recorded sins of the saints. Not for us to think poorly of the saints, but for us to learn from them. As Samuel Levenson once said, “You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." Better yet, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Also, not forgetting means God is never surprised by Satan when he comes accusing. As in Rev. 12:10, “…the accuser of our brethren… who accuses them before our God day and night”. I can just see it now, God answering each accusation with, “Yes, I know about that sin. I forgave that one too. See, here’s the invoice, stamped with big red letters in the blood of My Son Jesus, PAID IN FULL”.

So why is it when I wake in the middle of the night, I sometimes start grieving over past sins, sins I’ve already confessed? When haunted by old forgiven sins I wonder if I should confess again, as if the first time didn’t work? I’ve done that, confessed several times, but the grief tends to linger. No, instead I will recall Isaiah 43:25, and know that it’s not God who’s remembered these sins to ruin my sleep with. I will focus on the fact that it is Him, even He, who has wiped out my transgressions for His own sake, and He will not remember my sins. His forgiveness, His Glory, our blessing.

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

Even though David penned this psalm thousands of years ago, it still hits a responsive chord in all of our lives today.  Life is unpredictable and we need a safe refuge when problems arise.  Through the years I have found the Lord to be that safe place.  I have learned that quietly waiting in God’s presence is essential to have peace of mind during the good as well as the difficult times.

Lynette and I enjoy camping on the coast near the Morro Bay area.  I look forward to these trips, because it is an opportunity to step out of the busyness of life and to sit quietly before the Lord.  We purposefully do not plan a lot of activities for our time on the coast so that we can sit quietly and enjoy the Lord and each other.  God has been doing a lot in our lives recently and big changes are on the horizon.  Whether it is sitting in my favorite chair at the campsite and watching the fire or walking along the beach while watching the waves, it is an opportunity to sit quietly in God’s presence.  David writes, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God.”  His soul waited in silence and found rest in God alone.  God was his complete source of calmness when life was going well or when his world was falling apart. David wrote “wait” not react immediately.  It takes a lot of courage and patience to wait!  It is harder to wait than to get involved in doing something humanly to take care of a situation.  But he tells us to first wait and not try to fix the situation in our own strength.

David goes on to say, “Let all that I am…” I realize that I can’t sit half-heartedly in God’s presence.  Either I am “all in” or I let the distractions of life and the world keep me from enjoying God’s presence.  David further emphasizes this through using the Hebrew word for “only” six times in the psalm.  He knew that God was the “only” source of his salvation and He was his “only” fortress.  Nothing else can substitute.  As a result, he would not be greatly shaken.  David felt at ease like a warrior who is safely in an impregnable fortress.  He knew that in life God was the only fortress that was safe from all enemies.  He could have complete trust in God alone.

Today our world can quickly come unraveled.  All it takes is a phone call that someone we love has passed, the results of a medical test or financial loss.  Any of these things can completely turn our world upside down.  David wants us to experience what he experienced…God’s salvation, safety and rest.  We can only experience this when we fully trust God and wait silently on Him.  We need to rest in the full safety of our God.  Today, in whatever chapter of life we are in, let’s take time to reflect on the reality that God the Father sent his Son to be our only salvation and only source of rest and safety.  Our soul can rest in silence knowing that our Savior is in control and that He holds us in His hand.  Only Christ who lives in us, can give us the strength and courage to face each day and not be greatly shaken.
 
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for being that safe place I can run to amid life’s problems.  Thank you for the sense of peace and safety you will give me through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  Amen.

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

One of the most common objections I hear from people regarding christianity is “why does a good God allow suffering?” I think it’s a question that a lot of people wrestle with and struggle to answer, often resorting to things like, “well, God’s ways are higher than our ways.” Or “God works in mysterious ways,” or even more simply, “I don’t know.” While the question does sound perplexing, especially given what we know about God, I have come to think that the question itself is wrong. You see we are asking the question from a human perspective, as if we are the center of the universe. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but as the teenagers might say today “it’s giving main character energy.” I guess I’m old enough to be referring to “young” people now! Anyway, when we make ourselves the main focus instead of God we are bound to ask questions this way. So let’s take a look at this from God’s perspective.

How many times have you sinned in the last twenty four hours alone? I don’t mean big dramatic sins (although maybe you did that too) but have you lied, have you used God’s name in vain, have you thought any impure thoughts, have you hated anyone, have you treated someone badly, have you taken advantage of someone? If you’ve done any number of these things and more you have sinned! If you just found out you’re a sinner, welcome to the club, we made jackets. But I think most of us know we are born in sin and sin on a regular basis, as much as we try not to, we do. The Bible is very clear on this, that the wages of sin or the penalty for sin is death. Not a time out, not fine, not a slap on the wrist, but death. So you ask in your human nature, why does God allow suffering, and from God’s perspective it’s more like, why are you still alive! I remember our Pastor would say if God were to stamp out sin at midnight would you still be around at 12:01AM?

The answer at the end of the day is that this world is broken as a result of sin that has entered it through Adam and Eve, and the continued sin of all of us. The fact that we are even around to endure suffering is a demonstration of God’s mercy, His patience with us in the midst of our rebellion against Him. Every day you wake up is another example of His mercy for you, you who He should have stamped out the moment you sinned. You see we cry out to God to remove the sin, the suffering, and the problems of the world, but He doesn’t. He has mercy, because if He did, we’d be gone, we are the problem, we are the ones who are rebelling against Him.

So praise God in the midst of your suffering and problems, because He is demonstrating His mercy and patience with you. Instead of instantly removing your unworthy self from His presence, He calls you to turn from your sin, repent, and follow after Him, time and time again. God is faithful, even when we are not. Praise God!

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

If you haven’t heard the phrase before, “gospel magic” might strike you as strange. After all, Scripture has strong words against what it calls “sorcery” (Galatians 5:20, Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Whenever magicians or sorcerers appear in Scripture, they are typically in opposition to God and His people (Exodus 8:7, 1 Samuel 28, Acts 13:8-10). It is not my desire in this devotional to wade into debates about what movies, TV shows, or games containing magic are harmless fantasy and which are “witchcraft.” As Paul would say in Romans 14:5, “each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Where Scripture IS clear is that any real-life witchcraft, occult practices, communication with spirits, or other pursuit of supernatural power from a source other than God, is ultimately demonic. So what in the world could be considered “gospel magic?”

As a teen, I spent five years attending a boys’ summer camp in upstate New York called “The Boys JIM Club.” (JIM stands for “Jesus Is Mine.”)  The camp had typical activities like sports and swimming, plus the morning and evening devotions common at most Christian camps. But this camp had a unique focus on “platform material”—equipping boys to share God’s word on a stage. This ranged from memorizing 5-minute sermons and Bible chapters to more unusual forms of presentation:  dramatic monologue, pantomime, juggling routines, and even “gospel magic.”

So what’s gospel magic? It’s ordinary sleight-of-hand illusion tied to a Christian message. A mind-reading illusion becomes a lesson on God’s omniscience. To illustrate the Resurrection, an object representing Jesus disappears and reappears halfway across the stage. My signature trick involved taking three ropes of different lengths and “magically” making them the same length—an illustration of how we might think sins differ in their seriousness, but all sins are equal before God.

I loved gospel magic. I spent weeks learning different tricks and amassed a sizeable collection of materials. Gospel magic, in turn, opened doors for me to share the gospel: I presented at family gatherings, children’s birthday parties, and AWANA events. I even took my “show” overseas and presented at pastoral training conferences in China, Senegal, and Tanzania.

Sadly, it’s been years since I opened the Rubbermaid tub with all of my old gospel magic materials. (Maybe when I finish seminary.) But my brief time as a “gospel magician” taught me that even the strangest things can be tools in the service of Jesus. Too often, I think Christians jump to rejecting things instead of redeeming them: “all Disney movies are bad,” “all rock music is bad,” “all magic is bad.” But Paul quoted pagan poets in his speech in Athens (Acts 17:28). He was a master of matching his appeal to his audience, what he called becoming “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22). He explains the underlying principle in his letter to Timothy: “nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). I think the number of things that are “neutral,” that some people use for evil but Christians can use for good (like illusion magic!), greatly outnumber the things that are outright sinful. As Christians, we are called to bring everything in submission to the lordship of Christ. The world needs more Christian filmmakers, Christian singers, and yes, Christian magicians.

You may not be an illusionist, but you probably have other interests, talents, and hobbies. How can you use those to glorify God and advance the cause of the gospel? I think Campus does this well: our ladies’ craft days, pickleball nights, and GLOW outreach are great examples of “becoming all things to all people.” We have so many tools at our disposal to reach the world for Christ, even ones as strange as “gospel magic.”

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

Have you noticed that sometimes during great rejoicing there can coincide times of great sorrow? The wise men rejoiced because they continued to see the star that led them to Jesus and they were able to honor Him with their gifts. What a time of celebration they had.  But I think sometimes we forget that as they were celebrating, hundreds of babies and young children were killed.

Looking over the past year of our church I recall the many lives that have taken opposite journeys. Some the Lord allowed to tarry longer here with us and some He received into His heaven.  It reminds me of Job's statement, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." - Job 1:21. Sometimes it's hard to understand why the Lord allows such elements of grief. I think that's why there are examples of both in the Bible. They assure us that God is with us through times of rejoicing and times of sorrow.

As I celebrated another birthday I was more aware of how our time on earth is not permanent. It's our time after that is an eternity. And it is important that we are confident in where we will spend it.  I'm thankful for my Jesus who has provided me with a sure eternity with Him.

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder James Milton Black
Verse 1
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound
And time shall be no more
And the morning breaks eternal bright and fair
When the saved of earth
Shall gather over on the other shore
And the roll is called up yonder
I'll be there

Chorus
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
I'll be there

Verse 2
On that bright and cloudless morning
When the dead in Christ shall rise
And the glory of His resurrection share
When His chosen ones shall gather
To their home beyond the skies
And the roll is called up yonder
I'll be there

Verse 3
Let us labor for the Master
From the dawn till setting sun
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care
Then when all of life is over
And our work on earth is done
And the roll is called up yonder
I'll be there

CCLI Song # 31315    © Words: Public Domain  CCLI LICENSE #144020
 

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

Over the last couple of months, I’ve made several trips to Sacramento for work, spending a few hours each way on Highway 99.

For one trip, I checked out a Rivian from our company vehicle pool. The first time I drove it, I treated it like any other car—steering, accelerating, braking, and dealing with the usual stop-and-go traffic.

Before my next trip, a colleague told me about its driver-assistance feature. Once engaged, the vehicle stayed in its lane, adjusted its speed to traffic, and even stopped and started on its own when stuck in traffic. It could also safely change lanes when I used the turn signal.

I was impressed and it made driving down the long stretch of road more enjoyable. Everyone should have this special feature, I thought to myself.

Later, while trying to change the podcast I was listening to, I took my eyes off the road for an exceptionally long time. This time, the warning was different—the driver assistance disengaged. The feature was still available, but before I could use it again, I had to recognize that I had ignored its warnings and then deliberately reengage it. Once I did, I also had to follow its requirement: keep my eyes on the road.

Any comparison between a vehicle and the Holy Spirit is imperfect, but the experience reminded me of our Christian walk.

Jesus said:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
John 14:26

Like someone discovering a feature they didn’t know was available, a new believer begins to learn what it means to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. He teaches us through God’s Word, guides us toward what honors God, and convicts us when we begin to wander.

But we have a responsibility to pay attention.

We can become comfortable traveling down the road of life. Our eyes wander, distractions take over, and we ignore the Spirit’s conviction. Paul warns:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30

We grieve the Holy Spirit when we knowingly resist what God has told us through His Word. Yet unlike the Rivian’s driver assistance, the Holy Spirit does not abandon us when are no longer in obedience. We are sealed by Him. When we wander, our response should be to recognize His conviction, confess our sin, and return to obedience.

Maybe there is a warning light on in your life today. Is the Holy Spirit bringing something to your attention that you have been ignoring?

Keep your eyes on the road. Pay attention to His prompting, stay grounded in God’s Word, and when you wander, turn back to Him.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit as our Helper. Help us to recognize His leading and respond to His conviction. Keep us from becoming distracted by the things of this world or doing anything that grieves Your Spirit. When we wander, help us confess our sin and turn our attention back to You. Keep our eyes fixed on Christ as we travel the road ahead. Amen.

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

When David led the assembly of Israel in offering gifts for the construction of the Temple, he was preparing a house of worship he would never step foot inside of. God had made it clear that the completion of the Temple would belong to the next generation— his son Solomon. Yet, David did not withhold his resources, nor did he grumble that he would not live to see the final glory of the building. Instead, his heart overflowed with praise and thanksgiving simply for the privilege of contributing to the groundwork. David understood a fundamental truth of the Christian walk: God calls us to faithful stewardship of the process, while the ultimate results remain in His hands.

As a volleyball coach, I frequently remind our players that victory is rarely achieved on the night of the game alone. Long before we step on the court, the outcome is shaped in the unseen, repetitive work of daily practice—the fundamentals, the conditioning, and the discipline to execute small duties faithfully. When players fixate solely on the scoreboard, anxiety begins to settle in; yet, when they dedicate themselves to the daily discipline of the process, the outcome naturally takes care of itself.

I think a similar principle governs our spiritual lives and our labor within the local body. We live in a culture that expects immediate gratification and measurable outcomes. Yet, the work of the Kingdom is largely generational. We sow seeds in our children, invest in our ministries, and uphold the preaching of God's Word, knowing that much of the fruit may be harvested long after our earthly labors are complete. Our calling as believers is not to secure instant praise or personal legacy, but to yield our time, talents, and treasure cheerfully for the glory of God. When our focus shifts from our own immediate results to God's eternal purpose, labor becomes a joyful act of worship.

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

I went on a mission trip to at Christian camp called “Twin Rocks Bible Camp”. It was tucked away in the hills of southeastern Kentucky. There were beautiful trees, winding trails and flowing streams. But everywhere you went you were either walking down a trail or walking up a trail. And if you didn’t stay on the trails, the drop off was severe. You could really get hurt.

One of the items on the packing list for the trip was a flashlight. They told us that when the sun goes down it gets very dark very quickly. There are no cities nearby and very little ambient light. The cabins are about 100 yards away from the bathrooms and you have to walk the steep, windy, trails to get there. So I brought a flashlight.

On the first night I had to use the bathroom, so without thinking I started down the trail without my flashlight. About halfway there, I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. I was feeling my way, tree to tree, step to step, step making sure I was still on the trail. Just then I saw a flashlight shining way off in the distance and it was coming toward me. As they got closer, I recognized the person. It was one of my fellow leaders, a smart leader, who remembered his flashlight. He was startled when he saw me. He said, “Where’s your flashlight?” I said, “I left it back in the cabin.” He said, “That wasn’t very smart.” I said, “You’re right. I won’t be making that mistake again.”

I learned a valuable lesson that night. When you’re staying at a camp out in the middle of nowhere, set on hills, where you can get hurt if you don’t stay on the trail, make sure you always have your flashlight or you could get seriously hurt.

It also reminded me of a verse…

1 John 1:7 – "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

When we think of light, we think of visibility. Darkness hides, distorts, and confuses. But the light illuminates, reveals, and clarifies. And Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. The gospel of Jesus Christ shines brightly into this dark world. In a world filled with lies, Jesus is the truth. In a world filled with despair, Jesus brings hope. In a world filled with sin, Jesus is the answer. He paid the price for the sin of the world at the cross.

To “walk in the Light” does not mean you never stumble into sin. Instead it means you stop hiding in the shadows of secret sin. You remember that Jesus paid the price for our redemption. We do not earn our standing with God through our own striving toward perfection. None of us will be perfect on this side of heaven. So we bring our sin out into the open, walking in light.

In order to have true fellowship in the body of Christ, we pursue genuine, honest, community with God and other believers. And when our sin is out in the open, we can do that without fear or shame. It reminds me of the statement, “If you live with nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.” And I think there’s a lot of truth to that.

As a Christian, the cross of Jesus Christ is active in our lives every single day, washing away our sin and unrighteousness as we walk with Him. Walking in the Light means we let the gospel guide us on the ‘trails of life’. To step off these ‘trails’ leads to certain danger. So shine the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ into your everyday life. You are no longer defined by past sins or struggles. But the love and purity of Jesus Christ our Savior has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. So walk in the light.

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

What is something you have wanted so badly that you thought having it would make your life better?

For me, growing up, it was the newest PlayStation. I loved my PlayStation 2, but after seeing a friend play Uncharted on a PlayStation 3, I was convinced I needed one. When I finally received it for Christmas in 2009, I was thrilled. A few years later, however, the PlayStation 4 became the next thing I had to have.

I worked and saved $400, then went with my mom to GameStop on Black Friday. When the total came to $430 with tax, she kindly covered the difference. I still remember her generosity. But I also remember how easily my excitement about a console became tied to how I felt about myself.

There was always something newer to want.

That cycle reaches far beyond video games. We can look to possessions, entertainment, appearance, accomplishments, or approval to give us lasting satisfaction. Advertisements feed that desire with a familiar promise: “Your life would be better if you had this.”

Into that cycle, John speaks a challenging word: “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15).

Does this mean we should stop enjoying life? Should we reject hobbies, friendships, or the good gifts God gives us? No. John is warning us against loving the sinful desires and values that draw our hearts away from God. God loves the people of the world, and He calls us to love them too. But we cannot make the world’s way of life our greatest love while faithfully following Him.

The question is whether something we enjoy has become something we depend on for our identity, security, or joy.

John identifies three dangers: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. The desires of the flesh pull us toward satisfying ourselves apart from God’s will. The desires of the eyes convince us that what we see is what we need. The pride of life leads us to boast in what we have or accomplish rather than depend on God.

I recognize these patterns in myself. Sometimes a commercial or a few minutes browsing Amazon can turn something I never needed into something I suddenly feel I must have. The problem begins when my heart expects a purchase to provide what only God can give.

John then reminds us that the world and its desires are passing away, while those who do God’s will abide forever (1 John 2:17).

The newest console eventually becomes old. Possessions wear out. Approval fades. A relationship with God through Jesus Christ offers a hope that lasts beyond everything we can buy or achieve.

When I bought a PlayStation 5 in 2023, I enjoyed it, but something had changed. I was growing in my understanding that my identity rested in being God’s child. The console could be a gift to enjoy without becoming the center of my life.

How do we grow in that freedom? We draw near to God through Scripture, prayer, worship, and obedience. We ask Him to reveal what has taken too much space in our hearts. And we remember that Jesus died and rose again to bring us into a restored relationship with the Father. Our obedience grows from His grace; it does not purchase His love.

We also invite others to know Him, loving them with patience and sharing the hope we have in Christ.

This world constantly offers us more. In Jesus, God offers us Himself—and a life with Him that lasts forever.

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

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible on prayer.  In my book, it ranks right up there with Hebrews 11:6 and 1 John 5:14-15.  It begins with three mind-blowing promises for those who A.S.K. – Ask, Seek, and Knock.  At first blush, the promises sound like guarantees – “it will be given to you… you will find… it will be opened to you.”

But have you ever asked God for something and felt like he didn’t answer you?
 
There are a number of reasons why God sometimes chooses not to answer prayer: sin (Ps 66:18; Isa 59:2), asking for things that are not according to his will (1Jn 5:14-15), and asking with wrong motives are three of the main culprits (Jas 4:3).

But what if we ask for something that is genuinely good and our hearts are in the right place, yet we still don’t receive an answer?  In that case, perhaps the problem is we are asking… but we’re not seeking and knocking.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between asking, seeking, and knocking?

Asking simply refers to making a request.  Seeking means looking for something – searching for it.  It implies that sometimes we don’t know what to ask for, so we need to investigate.  Seeking for something is more active than merely asking for it.  It’s a journey, a process that takes time and effort.  And it puts our faith to the test.  Knocking, on the other hand, means to strike or deliver a blow against something.  It’s more forceful than asking or seeking.  Ultimately, it speaks of desiring admittance.  It speaks of intimacy, communion, and fellowship.  To seek admittance is to be allowed into someone’s presence.

Let me give you an example.  Suppose I invite you over to my house for a wonderful dinner – grilled tri-tip, balsamic-glazed roasted veggies and potatoes, tiramisu for dessert.  If you’re smart, you might ask: “What time?  Where’s your house?”  But if you stop there, you wouldn’t even be close to experiencing the feast I prepare for you.  You have to get in your car and look for my house.  You may take a wrong turn or two, so it will take a little time and effort to find it.  But let’s say that finally you arrive at my place.  If for some reason you don’t knock on my door, you’re still not going to experience the feast.  You’ve got to knock until I open the door, and then you can come in and eat with me.

I think that’s what it’s like with prayer.  Sometimes we ask God for things, but we aren’t willing to seek and knock.  So we miss out on the opportunity to feast with God.

If we ask rightly, God will answer us.  If we seek persistently, God will show us great and mighty things we never anticipated (Jer 33:3).  And if we knock expectantly, God will open the door into his very presence, which is the greatest gift of all – the gift of Himself.

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

In and around my house I have lots of different succulents and cactuses. I like succulents; they are hearty, easy to care for, and transplant well. Aesthetically, they have so many wildly unique features that make them endearingly cool. If provided the right circumstances for their health and growth, they will pretty much live indefinitely as living testaments to God’s creativity.

“Spiny Boi” is a columnar shaped, Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis Oxygona) that shares a pot with some French Lavendar and Aloe Vera along the path leading up to my front door. Over the years, this dude has had some nice, vertical growth, and he doesn’t obstruct the pathway and for most of the year I don’t pay much attention to him as his needs are minimal. This inattention has led me to brushing against or backing up into his spines which dutifully deliver a painful reminder that he is there, and I should be mindful of his space. Apart from the occasional brush up, the only other time I pay him significant attention is when it is time for him to flower. Once a year, usually in the beginning of summer, he will produce one, sometimes two, large, magnificent pink lilies. For those of you who know, these lilies look similar to Easter Lilies (hence the name), and they will stop you dead in your tracks if you are fortunate enough to encounter them.  Easter Lily Cactus typically blooms at night through early morning before closing. They also only bloom for few days before withering. If you aren’t paying attention, you will miss the show and you will have to wait a full year to catch them in their full glory again.

This past winter tragedy stuck.  Someone, presumably one of the many daily package delivery drivers who come to my residence, struck this cactus, causing a severe break of the body which left the plant looking like it had been broken in two. I provided what care I could and waited to see if he would pull through. Over time the break in his outer carapace healed over, although his shape changed from a vertical “I” to a downward facing “L”.
In the first week of June, I was greeted by two large pink flowers as I left for work. I rejoiced as it appeared that he pulled through and made some flowers for me to enjoy. The following week he grew two more flowers. Two more in the third week, and finally, his last two of the year which bloomed on July 4th (Happy Birthday America). Initially I was pleased by Spiny Boi’s overproduction of flowers, and I researched if there was a cause. What I discovered was bittersweet – a healthy Easter Lily Cactus will only produce a few flowers in a season, a severely damaged or dying one produces as many flowers as it can to spread its seed. The bonus flowers come with a steep cost as the plant shifts its energy from growth to reproduction.  

Isn’t this the same truth for all of those you follow Jesus. His one life, for the life of all mankind. This payment is bittersweet, like the lilies on my cactus. To be effective proclaimers of Christ’s sacrifice, death must occur within us. The of our death of our pride, anger, jealousy, rage, selfishness, and self-righteousness. When our eyes are turned from darkness to light, we can see the afflicted, persecuted, and the suffering. When we ourselves suffer our own affliction, persecution, suffering, we can empathize with fellow sufferers, and we can respond to our position with life! If we choose to respond in the ways that lead to death, we squander the high position (James 1:9) God has placed us in. Responding with humility, gentleness, kindness, joy, and love are like fragrant flowers, radiantly spreading beauty and cheer, glorifying the Creator, at the cost of their own life.  

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion 'Your God reigns!'"
Isaiah 52:7
 

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

In June of 1980, my family and I moved to Montana.  Little did we know what great adventure and ministry were waiting for us there.  After getting settled in, on a beautiful Montana summer day, we drove with friends to Glacier Park.  The Park became a special place to us and was one of the places that our family loved to go camping.  On those quiet evenings in Two Medicine Campground, Lynette and I would sit around the campfire and talk.  It was a good time to think seriously about our lives together and to contemplate God's design/purposes for us.  I remember many evenings sitting looking into the flames and wrestling with the issues of what I saw to be God's shaping of my life and ministry.  I came to realize that true fulfillment and meaning in life could only be realized through accepting and living according to God's sovereign design for me.

Over the next years, God continued to shape me which caused me to deal with areas of brokeness in my life.  He wanted to bring healing to the wounds that I tried to ineffectively stuff down.  Through the next years I began to deal with the brokeness I experienced in the death of my older brother.  I also began the process of working through what I felt to be a distant relationship with my father.  God encouraged and strengthened me to face these issues head on.  That was the only way true healing could come.
 
As you read about the life of the Apostle Paul, he allowed God’s love and grace to heal the deep wounds in his life.  He did not allow these areas of brokenness to hold him back but accepted God’s healing that came through Jesus Christ.

Today all of us have areas of brokeness in our lives.  We might even say that our lives cannot be different this side of heaven because of the hurts we have experienced.  As a result we stay bound up with activities and ways of thinking that make us momentarily feel better as we try to self medicate our hurts.  This is exactly what our enemy wants us to do.  But we do not have to stay chained to those thought patterns and activities.  We can experience true freedom in Jesus Christ who came to set us free.
 
One day when Jesus was in the synagoge, He stood and read from the Prophet Isaiah.  He stated that this scripture was on that day fulfilled in Him.  It is recorded for us in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed…”  Jesus today wants to set us free.

We often go through life covering our brokenness so others cannot see it.  We are medicating our deep wounds with activities or substances that make us feel better for the moment.  It becomes our coping mechanism.  We feel it is not safe to share our woundedness for fear that others will reject/abandon us or be critical in some way.  In many cases we have retreated into our own private worlds where we feel safe.  We often are afraid to share due to shame or pride.  As a result our Christianity is only surface deep and we struggle to keep up the front before others.

Often we have forgotten how much God loves us.  He desires for us to deal with our brokenness that we might be free.  Free from the chains that keep us in shame and free to experience God in a real and life changing way.  Christ is inviting us to come to Him with our brokenness.  His love is not only demonstrated to us in salvation, but also as he relates to us each day.
 
The Apostle Paul is an example to us as we honestly evaluate our lives.  He had to look at the brokenness of his own life.  He thought he could please God through his human accomplishments.  As God lovingly met with him, Paul realized he had to give up all his human efforts and count them as worthless in order to find healing in Christ.  (Philippians 3:4-9)

Paul is encouraging us today to do the same.  He wants us to recognize those areas that need to change and to allow God’s power to bring healing.  We need to stop clinging to the methods we have turned to in the past to make ourselves feel better.  Those methods are only a quick fix and do not bring true healing.  We need to turn to Christ and allow him to heal us from the inside out.

Prayer:  “Lord, as I look deeply into my life, help me to see and know your great love for me.  There is nothing in my life that You, Jesus, haven’t already paid for at the cross.  Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness, cleansing and healing.  Lord, I want to live today in the freedom and forgiveness that You have given me as Your child.”  Amen

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

When was the last time you took a moment and wondered at all the creation around you. It is really easy to get micro focused in our busy lives and just go about our day to day without ever taking time to think and contemplate the world around us. We live here, we’ve never left here, and we can easily take it for granted. But if you stop and allow yourself the time to take in all that is around you it is really easy to be struck by just how big and complicated it all is. How seamlessly it works together, and therefore just how big God must be.

I’ve always been struck by how everything has to work so perfectly with each other for various animals and ecosystems to exist. They really are delicate but yet they perfectly exist, at least until we come in and think we can manage it better. The more I study the relationships between the various elements in nature the more I am convinced that there is a God that has organized everything and set it in motion. But more so than just His existence, I am reminded of how small I am and how big He is.
 
In our own world our problems seem to be the biggest and how could anything else matter compared to what I am going through. But our place in creation should remind us that we are but a small piece and compared to God our problems, our worries, our trials, are nothing. And yet God does care about them, and us, specifically. How amazing that such a huge God, so big that if we really try to think about it we still cannot comprehend, cares so much about us, about our hopes and fears. He loves us so much that He suffered on the cross to rescue us from ourselves, from our sin.

So think about that today, you are really small, and insignificant, but God still loves you, the God who made all this, and even stuff you cannot see. He loves you. How amazing is that!

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

“Do you think Adam would have sinned if God had never created Eve?” asked one of my students a few Sundays ago. In some sense, it may be an unhelpful question: to quote Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia, “no one is ever told what would have happened.” This student may be on to something, however: a deep dive into Scripture will show some aspects to the story of the Fall that we may not have considered before.

In 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul implies that in eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve sinned for different reasons. “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived.” When we look at Genesis 3:1-6, we see the serpent direct his temptation to Eve specifically (“he said to the woman,” v. 2, 4). The serpent’s lie is just enough to cause Eve to question what God has told her. Eve chooses to eat the fruit because “the tree was good for food... a delight to the eyes... and desired to make one wise.” In other words, Eve let the allure of the fruit and the words of the serpent make her distrust what she had heard from God. Eve disobeyed because she was deceived into thinking she knew better than God about the benefits of eating the forbidden fruit. This substitution of our judgment for God’s is ultimately a form of idolatry.

Did Adam disobey for the same reasons? Consider one of the most famous literary depictions of the scene, John Milton’s Paradise Lost. In Milton’s rendering, Eve comes to Adam, half-eaten fruit in hand, and invites her to join him. Adam is initially horrified, knowing Eve is now under the curse of “you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) But rather than lose Eve, Adam chooses to join her in sin:

How can I live without thee…
Should God create another Eve, and I
Another rib afford, yet loss of thee
Would never from my heart.

It’s possible that Adam chose to follow Eve into sin out of misplaced love for her. But Milton’s depiction misses a feature of the text. Genesis 3:7 says that Eve “gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” In other words, Adam heard the serpent’s entire temptation, and yet 1 Timothy tells us “he was not deceived.” Yes, Adam’s love for Eve may have influenced his decision, but in the end he ate the fruit eyes wide open, knowing fully well the consequences. If idolatry was Eve’s sin, Adam’s was rebellion. He chose to live in a world of his making, not God’s: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”

Consider this from another angle: twice in this passage Adam abdicates his God-given responsibility. God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to “work it and keep it” (Gen 3:15). Keep here has the idea of guard or watch. When Adam heard the serpent begin to cause his wife to question God’s truth and goodness, he should have moved to protect his family and his kingdom. I think Adam would have been perfectly justified to reach into the tree, grab the snake by the tail, and curb-stomp him in the head. But Adam failed to become the Snake Crusher.

Second, Adam failed in his responsibility to save Eve. At the moment when Eve eats the fruit, she becomes a sinner, subject to a death curse. What is Adam to do? Does he go to God and offer himself in Eve’s place, the sinless dying in place of the sinner? No. Adam fails to become the perfect sacrifice.

In the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s idolatry and rebellion, however, God makes a promise. Someone will succeed where Adam failed. A Snake Crusher is coming: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse, sometimes called the protoevangelion (first gospel) may be the first indication of God’s grand story of redemption, but it’s not the only one in this passage. Remember God told Adam that “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”? But Adam and Eve didn’t die immediately. How? The text says that God “made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (v. 21). Last I checked, animals don’t give up their skins willingly. An innocent sacrifice died in Adam and Eve’s place on that day. Here in the earliest chapters of the Bible, an indication is given of how the Snake Crusher will undo the curse of sin—through substitutionary, sinless sacrifice.

Jesus, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45) did what Adam could not. Faced with the same situation – a bride (the Church) guilty of sin and under a death curse, Jesus willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice to pay the penalty and redeem His bride. “God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then He rose from the dead, triumphing over the forces of sin, Satan, and death (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus is our Snake Crusher and our Sinless Sacrifice... truly the last Adam.

Today, take a moment to thank Jesus for His work of redemption on our behalf... a work that was foreshadowed all the way back in Genesis 3!

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

Have you ever had one of those weeks that have been a roller coaster of emotions?  Anger, frustration, grief, trust. This was one of those for me. That's why when I read this I felt such great love and assurance from the Lord. All of those emotions stemmed from areas in my heart that he wanted to test my faith in and to grow His attributes in me. As I was wrestling through the situations that were bringing out all these emotions I saw that He wanted me to seek Him. He wanted to break up the ground in my heart that was lying untilled. He wanted me to be more merciful and let Him sow His righteousness in me.

No matter how long I have been a believer and been coming to His Word, I am still a sinner saved by grace… like I was the first time I prayed for Him to come into my life.

I can usually find someone to compare myself with and feel pretty good about myself. But my comparisons are based on my own sense or righteousness. The Lord isn't satisfied with mediocrity. When comparing myself to Him I always come up short. And because He cares for me, He will continue to prune me so that it is His fruit of righteousness that gets produced.

Some day, we will be with the Lord with new bodies that will be pure and completely righteous. But until then we will continue dealing with the battle between our old and new natures. That's why we need to keep seeking Him daily and believing Him.

Have you heard His Word today? Just encouraging you to eat His bread for yourself; otherwise you are living on regurgitated food. We need to eat regular meals to live a healthy physical life. We must eat from the Bread of Life to live a spiritual life that will grow spiritual fruit pleasing to the Lord!

Titus 3:5 – "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…"
 
Isaiah 64:6 – "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
 
Ephesians 2:8-9 – "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
 
John 6:32-35 – "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'...And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
 
John 14:36 – "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

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

The Bible provides many reassuring verses confirming that God hears and answers the prayers of His people. 1 John 5:14 highlights a profound truth: you can have complete confidence that God is listening whenever you speak to Him. This verse emphasizes a beautiful partnership in prayer, noting that He hears us when we ask "according to His will." It shows that prayer isn't about changing God's mind, but about aligning our hearts with His perfect plans and trusting that He always desires what is best for us. These verses also remind me and help cement the compassion our God has in hearing and answering our prayers.

Psalm 34:17 — “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles.”
Psalm 18:6 — “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.”
Psalm 65:2 — “You who hear prayer, to You all mankind comes.”
Psalm 66:19–20 — “But God has heard; He has given attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer nor His favor from me.”
Psalm 116:1–2 — “I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my pleas. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”
Psalm 145:18–19 — “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry for help and save them.”
Proverbs 15:29 — “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Isaiah 65:24 — “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen.”
Jeremiah 29:12–13 — “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 33:3 — “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Matthew 7:7–11 — “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? So, if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
John 15:7 — “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 16:23–24 — “And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”
James 5:16 — “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.”
1 Peter 3:12 — “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”

I know that our God hears our prayers but the most difficult thing for me is when will He answer them. We have a number of friends and family that have been through and are still going through difficult situations in which we have all been praying. As sinful human beings, we want the prayers answered now God; but we wait patiently. It is so hard to wait on His perfect timing.

Sometimes it is Now
Sometimes it is Wait
Sometimes it is Never

God’s perfect timing is the quiet anchor behind 1 John 5:14. While the verse guarantees that He hears us the very moment we pray, scripture shows that His answers unfold according to the Master’s schedule as opposed to our schedule. When we sync our prayers to His will, we also sync our expectations to His calendar. Waiting on God's timing is not a sign of His absence, but a testament to His orchestration. He prepares us for the answer just as He prepares the answer for us. Lauren Daigle’s song “When God Says Not Yet” helps me understand this process.
“It’s not never. God is working while I wait.”
Lord, help me to always align my will with Yours





Lauren Daigle “When God Says Not Yet”

I prayed until the night was gone. Still waiting for the morning.
I asked You for a way ahead, but You gave me only silence.
I thought by now I’d see the change. I thought this storm would disappear.
But maybe you’re doing something deeper and waiting right here.
I don’t know what you’re preparing. I can’t see beyond today.
But I’ve learned that Your silence doesn’t mean You have walked away.
When God says not yet, it doesn’t mean never.
A delayed promise is still held by forever.
When I can’t see the answer, I remember what You said.
If You told me to keep waiting, then my hope is not dead. Not yet.
It’s not never. God is working while I wait.
Joseph dreamed beneath the stars before the prison and the pain.
David waited for the promise while hiding from his enemies.
Abraham held onto Your word. When the years kept passing by, they couldn’t see the ending but You were faithful every time.
Oh, I won’t measure Your goodness by how quickly prayers are answered. You see the road beyond my eyes and Your time and sees much farther. So, I’ll stop fighting and waiting. I’ll stop asking why so long. Maybe the place I call a delay is where you’re making my faith strong. When God says not yet, it doesn’t mean never. A delayed promise is still held by forever.
Oh, and I can’t see the answer.
I remember what You said. If You told me to keep waiting, then my hope is not dead. Not yet.
Oh, it’s not never. God is working while I wait.
What if the waiting has a purpose? What if the tears are watering faith?
What if the door I kept demanding would have taken me the wrong way? So, I surrender my tomorrow.
I surrender my win. If You’re asking me to wait, Lord. I’ll trust You again.
When God says not yet, it doesn’t mean never.  He is writing something greater than the future I remember.
I may not see the answer, but I know the One who speaks.
And if God says, “Wait, my child, I will wait on my knees. Not yet
He’s not never not forgotten, not forsaken.
God is working while I wait. So, I’ll wait
Not because I understand but because I trust You.
And when Your perfect moment comes, I know. You were working all along.

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

If you haven’t heard by now, I love movies. Action/adventure films like Indiana Jones or Jumanji are filled with dangerous terrain and daring escapes, but beneath the surface, they reveal one foundational reality: the characters are bound together and must rely on each other to survive. Even the secular world understands that our companions shape who we are. Ultimately, our choice of friends is not merely a casual preference; it is a profound matter of spiritual stewardship. Every person we allow into our inner circle will influence us. They quietly mold our language, impact our character, shape our Sunday habits, and directly affect our walk with the Lord. Scripture warns us plainly that a companion of fools will suffer harm.

When I think about the early church expanding, I often view its growth strictly through the lens of great sermons or miraculous signs and wonders. Yet, I believe God also deeply values the local church community and intentional, Christ-centered friendships to accomplish His work. In the book of Acts, a godly couple named Aquila and Priscilla connected with the Apostle Paul through their shared trade of tentmaking. They labored together, shared meals, lived out their faith in the daily grind, and sharpened one another. Later, they brought a fervent believer named Apollos into their circle, privately discipling him to understand the way of God more perfectly. This committed, gospel-centered community helped insulate them against a corrupt world. Our circles carry that exact same weight: they will either protect us from compromise or slowly cause us to drift away from righteousness. We must choose our associations with prayerful discernment.

If you have time today, take a moment to evaluate your circle of influence and consider implementing one of the following application steps:

• ADD: Intentionally invite mature, Bible-believing believers into your closest circle—those who respect God's Word, exhibit spiritual fruit, and encourage you to walk closer to Jesus.
• SUBTRACT: Recognize when an ungodly relationship is pulling you down. If an association constantly feeds your flesh rather than your spirit, dare to step back and limit their influence.
• MULTIPLY: Do not isolate in a comfortable bubble. Link arms with Spirit-filled companions to jointly serve the Lord and fulfill the Great Commission, using your unified testimony to reach the lost.

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

I started out in vocational ministry as a Youth Pastor. I ran what I call a “competition model of youth ministry”. Wednesday night was our outreach night. I wanted every student to find a non-Christian friend and get them to Wednesday night. We were divided into teams. There was a team competition every Wednesday. Volleyball, soccer, relay races, etc. When you brought a friend, they would go to your team. So everybody was inviting athletes from their schools because they wanted to win. And we saw many students come to Christ. 

Well, in Youth Ministry, with all the activity and games, I could eat whatever I wanted and keep weight off. I was flying around all over the place. I would wear sneakers to work every day for the expressed purpose of “A basketball game might break out and I want to be ready.”

After being in Youth Ministry ten years, the church I was serving had a pastoral opening in Adult Ministry and offered it to me. After Jenn and I prayed about it, we decided to accept. It was hard to give up Youth Ministry, but I was ready for a new challenge. I had a blast evaluating what we were doing well in adult small groups and making changes where needed. I faced challenge after challenge, and God used me to make a difference. 

But one challenge I didn’t expect was the inactivity of being an Adult Ministries Pastor versus a Youth Pastor. In youth ministry I ate whatever I wanted and never gained a pound. Now in Adult ministry, not only was I less active, but I got invited over to people’s houses all the time for these get-to-know-you meetings. And with every meeting, people fussed, made pies, cakes, cookies, and pastries. They’d say, “Here, pastor, try this fresh apple pie, hot out of the oven.” Or “Here pastor, eat one of these chocolate chip cookies. They’re heavenly.” How can I turn that down? It would be insulting. So while I enjoyed all the great bakery items, I started to gain weight. 

I remember the day I refused to buy the next size bigger pants to make room for my growing…well, you know…size. I said, “enough is enough…I’m going to start eating better. And  remembered the verse…

“Whether, then, you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

When Paul the apostle wrote these words, he was talking about the choices we make every single day in a complex culture. The context here involves eating meat offered to idols. But the principle can have a broader meeting: Even the most basic physical acts, like eating and drinking, can be done to the glory of God.

So often we separate our “spiritual life” from our “physical life” Yet the Bible reminds us that our bodies are gifts and vessels for His work. Eating nourishing food is not about meeting some worldly appearance standard, or following some ‘joyless set of rigid rules’ for the sake of discipline. Instead it’s about saying thanks to the Giver of all good gifts. When we choose wholesome foods to promote health and strength, we are saying, “God, thanks so much for giving me this physical body. Help me take care of it so I can serve You for the long haul. 

On the other hand, when our appetite dominates our thoughts and goes unchecked, we can eat unwholesome foods that serve nothing more than giving us ‘temporary comfort’. And by doing so we miss the opportunity to honor our Creator by eating foods that keep our body healthy. 

I want to ‘eat to the glory of God’, keeping my body healthy, and regularly thanking God for His provision. And I’m going to pray that God will give me the discipline to treat my body as the temple where His Holy Spirit resides, so I can give Him glory in even the most basic things.

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

Growing up, one of the biggest questions I wrestled with was, “Why are we all here?” I grew up in a Christian home, but the pain and suffering I saw in the world—and experienced in my own life—sometimes made me question the point of it all. Did God truly care enough to create me and send His Son to die for me so that I could have a relationship with Him? I am thankful that Scripture answers yes. God did not create us because He was lonely or needed something from us. He created us out of the abundance of who He is: God is love.

The Bible begins with a simple but powerful statement: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Before anything else existed, God was already there. The story of creation—and the story of our lives—begins with Him.

Throughout Genesis 1, several phrases are repeated: “And God said,” “and it was so,” and “God saw that it was good.” These words show us that God created everything with authority, order, and goodness. He did not make the world carelessly or randomly. He intentionally prepared a place where life could flourish.

Again and again, God looked at what He had made and called it good. After creating humanity, He declared everything “very good.” Although sin would later bring pain and brokenness into the world, Genesis reminds us that evil was not part of God’s original design. God created a good world because He is a good God.

The greatest part of creation was humanity. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image.” (ESV) Being made in God’s image does not mean that we physically look like God. It means that human beings were uniquely created to know Him, represent Him, relate to others, and care for His creation.

This gives every person incredible value. Our worth does not come from our intelligence, popularity, appearance, abilities, or what others think about us. It comes from the God who created us. Every person bears His image—including the person who feels invisible, the person who looks different from us, and even the person who frustrates us.

Being made in God’s image also gives us responsibility. God calls us to care for what He has made and represent His character in the way we live. That affects how we speak, treat our families, respond to hurting people, and handle the responsibilities He gives us.

Sin damaged our relationship with God, but He did not abandon us. Jesus came, died for our sins, and rose again so that everyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven and welcomed into God’s family. The cross is the clearest demonstration that the God who created us also loves us and desires for us to know Him.

Genesis 1 teaches us that we are not random, forgotten, or without purpose. We were created to know God, represent Him, care for what He has made, and share His goodness with others. Whenever we question our worth or wonder why we are here, we can return to this truth: Our lives make the most sense when God is at the center.

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

If you could be any animal you wanted to be, which one would you choose?

I’ve always thought it would be fun to be a dolphin.  They seem happy and playful.  Plus I love the ocean.  But if I could be any animal, I might have to go with an eagle.

In 1782, the bald eagle was chosen as the national emblem of the United States because of its majestic appearance. It is a powerful symbol of freedom and strength.

Typically eagles fly about 30 mph, but they can dive at speeds of 100mph.  They can fly 125 miles without landing, and they can glide at altitudes up to 10,000 feet!

That’s why Isaiah 40:29-31 is such an amazing promise.
 
God says when we feel tired, weak and weary, he is able to give us strength, so we can fly farther and faster than we ever thought possible. When we stumble and fall, he is able to pick us up and make us soar on wings like eagles. When the problems of life are dragging us down to the dust, we can climb to 10,000 feet and circle above them.  We can gain a heavenly altitude and see our circumstances with the clarity of eagle-eyes.

But that doesn’t just happen automatically.  There’s one condition here.

To renew our strength, we must hope in the Lord.  We must look to him as our only source of sufficiency. He alone gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Why?  Because he alone does not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (verse 28).
 
So is anyone feeling tired today?  Or weak or weary?  Did anyone stumble and fall?  Hope in the goodness of the Lord, in his wisdom, grace and might. Hang onto this promise.  Write it down and put it on your mirror.  Slip it into your pocket and don’t forget it.

Hope in the Lord, and he will give you strength.

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