April 20, 2025

We have lots of babies on the way here at Covington church of Christ and several that have already been born. I cannot wait to meet them, hold them, love them and watch them grow. It is exciting to think of all the possibilities and opportunities they will encounter as they grow. Naturally, we want to see them grow into faithful Christians and successful, responsible citizens. But let’s take a minute to reverse the goals. By that I mean, let’s make a plan to make these babies dumber than dirt, reprobates and generally incorrigible citizens. I know, why would anyone do that? Bear with me for a moment. If we were going to develop ignorant, worthless human beings, how would we do it? I think we would start by limiting parental contact and really contact in general. By law, we have to provide food, shelter and clothing, but beyond those, the plan would be to exercise the minimum. Reading to them would be a no-no. Singing to them, providing manipulatives for them to play with and figure out and providing opportunities to socialize would also be out. As they grow, we’d want to let them skip school, take no part in their education whatsoever unless we find there is a teacher there who is simply demanding too much of them, then we would of course go and straighten that teacher out. Making sure their diet is not balanced and they don’t get enough sleep would aid us in our goal of producing a derelict child. We would need to teach them excuses like, “it’s never their fault” and expect nothing but failure from them. We would have to take away any of their self-worth. Spiritually speaking, church attendance, Bible study, prayer and service to others could never be a priority and for sure we could not be caught reading, praying or helping others. After all, it would look bad if we helped others before our own children. Family Bible time would be as out of the question as helping with homework. I am sure this list is not exhaustive and possibly you have thought of other things to add to this make-believe list, because no one looks at a newborn and thinks to themselves, “Oh, what a scoundrel I am going to turn you into!” No, what we see is beautiful; a part of us; a gift from God. We see doctors, preachers, nurses and teachers. We see mechanics and bankers, star athletes and inventors. We see “endless possibilities.” Since we are not in the business of raising demoralized, unscrupulous, degenerate children, what is our plan for making them self-confident, self-controlled, strong, intelligent and above all faithful to God’s word? And while no one wants to go or see their family go to Hell and no one wants to be homeless and destitute, what are we teaching them when we ignore teaching them and hand them a screen, or put them to bed without prayer. What are we telling them when we never tell them about Jesus?

-jeff

April 13, 2025

With “tax season” almost over, paying taxes or getting a refund is on the minds of many. While paying taxes is a sign you are making money, there are not many who actually enjoy giving a substantial chunk of their income to the government. The dislike for tax collectors has been around since the first taxes were introduced! In the first century, tax collectors often found themselves included whenever sinners were talked about and often seemed to be in a class by themselves as even Jesus acknowledged their loathsomeness using the phrase, “tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Given the generally negative sentiment towards taxes, it is really not a surprise to find out the Pharisees chose taxation as one of the topics in which to try and trip Jesus up. In Matthew 22:15-21, the writer describes the scene when trying to entrap Jesus, the Pharisees asked him if it were lawful, or permissible, to pay tax to Caesar. Jesus’ response clearly demonstrated the depth of His wisdom, and knowledge. He asked to see the money and queried his aggravators, “Whose picture is on the coin?” When they said Caesars, Jesus responded matter of factly, well then “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.” His statement left his detractors amazed at his response for they still had nothing to accuse him with. But that is not all he said. Jesus followed, “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” with, “and give unto God what is God’s.” In the very same sentence, He answered their question; he gave them a huge directive making their question look petty and dumb. After all, what is God’s if it is not everything?” This begs the unasked question, “What are you giving to God” and maybe a second question, “Do you complain as much giving to God as you do giving to Caesar?” His response really sets up his answer for another leading question later in the chapter, “What is the greatest command in the law” (Matthew 22:36)? We are all very familiar with Jesus’ response, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’” (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus ends Matthew 22 by asking them a question in which they knew the correct answer would firmly establish Himself as the son of God; something they just didn’t want to believe. In their attempts to trap Jesus in Matthew 22, Jesus basically pointed out they were not giving God nearly what he deserved. He pointed out, despite their knowledge and intelligence, they just didn’t understand much of what they were talking about, but no matter, if they would just put God first in their lives and their neighbors second, everything they weren’t doing or understanding would take care of itself. The truth is, we can answer most of life’s problems and issues today if we will just love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves, just like He said!

-jeff

April 6, 2025

The end of the week looks like it will be pretty wet if you can trust the weatherman. I am reminded of the old proverb; April showers bring May flowers. While there is a much deeper meaning to the saying than just, it rains in April, I just can’t stop thinking about my gutters. When functioning properly, gutters are a great benefit to the home helping to divert water away from the foundation reducing both mold and potential insect infestations. The problem is, they have to be kept free of those things that clog the downspouts. If gutters are not maintained, they cannot perform the tasks they were designed to do and may even cause more damage to the home. Many inventions from covers to tools have been developed to make this job easier and some covers even claim to eliminate the need for maintenance forever! That’s right, install our product and get the benefits of gutters without the hassle of maintenance! But, before it starts raining and before you are in the middle of cleaning them out, think about it. What do you own that absolutely requires no maintenance or upkeep? I googled it, for the average consumer, there is not much we can get, certainly for our homes, that doesn’t require upkeep and maintenance in some way. As long as water can flow freely through the gutter system, it will perform as it should. I can make a strong case for our lives being the same way. We were created for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13) and as long as we keep the “water” flowing, life is better, particularly when we are talking about the water mentioned by Jesus in John 4:14 and Revelation 22:1 and 17. I am not suggesting a trouble-free life for believers, God never promises a perfect and prosperous life to his followers. Jesus said, “for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). While the context of this statement is about loving those who persecute you, the implication is there will be rainy days! Benefits of Christianity do not come from the elimination of the storms of life, but the ability to get through them with our salvation intact. Just like on an earthly home where problems arise when the flow of water is impeded by clogged gutters, there are times when our spiritual home and well being are adversely affected because the free flow of the “water of life” is blocked by sin. We need to keep our spiritual gutters clean and well maintained. We must stay in His word (2 Timothy 2:14-26). We must be constantly prayerful for ourselves and one another (Ephesians 6:18; Romans 12:12). We must live strongly and rightly in His word; encourage and be encouraged (Colossians 3:12-17; Ephesians 5:15-20). We must look forward focusing on the future and the promise (Proverbs 4:25-27; Philippians 3:13-14). We must keep our gutters clean.

-Jeff

March 30, 2025

There were three things Achan took from the spoils of Jericho. Two of them make perfect sense to us, but the third raises an eyebrow. Two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels we can all understand, but a coat. It seems odd a man would transgress the command of God for a garment and yet, Achan lists it first among the three items. Furthermore, the gold and silver could have been easily concealed under his garments, weighing only about 6 pounds together, but the cloak, while not necessarily heavy, would have been bulky and required some real thought and careful planning. Maybe he wore it under his own clothes to get it back to his tent. It appears to be a crime of opportunity, not one of premeditation. When he saw the garment, he knew it was from Shinar, a plain in Babylonia. He instantly recognized it for what it was. Achan spoke of it in terms suggesting Joshua would know exactly of the quality and value the garment carried and maybe understand why he took it. It wasn’t just any garment, it was from Shinar. There are many instances in the Bible giving us insight to how people valued their clothing. From the coat of many colors presented to Joseph in Genesis 37, to the thirty sets of clothes Samson promised to the Philistines if they solved his riddle, throughout the Bible we see the significance and value of clothing in Bible times. So when Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19), those he talked to on the mountain side knew very well the value of their clothing and the damage that could be done when the tiny larvae of the moth began feasting. Jesus highlighted in one sentence the futility of putting your faith in anything here on earth. While some only wear “brand names” and spend a lot on clothes, we do not seem to value clothes the way they did in Bible times. Many don’t even realize the holes in their suit came from moth larvae! We understand rust and thieves. Hopefully we understand the temporary nature of the things we possess. Hopefully our confidence, our hope, our faith, our identity, our life is not based on this temporary stuff but like the preacher said in Ecclesiastes 12:13, we are “fearing God and keeping His commandments,” as this is the whole duty of man. Hopefully, our confidence is in our redeemer, our hope floats in the cleansing power of His blood, our faith is in His return, our identity is in Christ and our lives are lived walking in the light as He is in the light. Hopefully we are all storing our treasure in heaven where there is no rust and there are no thieves or moths. Hopefully. Prayerfully. Confidently.

-Jeff

March 23, 2025

I try to carry a pocket knife with me wherever I go. It is one of the handiest tools a young man can carry but it is also a tool that comes with great responsibility. Learning how to properly handle a knife so as not to cut yourself or worse, someone else, is not difficult but does require a bit of guidance. Fathers are usually very good at this, but grandpa’s and great uncles are probably the best. Did you know a very sharp knife is safer than a dull one? It sounds crazy when you first hear it because the sharper a knife is, the easier it cuts and one might assume the easier to be cut! However, that is not the case. For the record, the best way not to be cut by a knife is to avoid getting body parts in the way of the blade! This avoidance is done by the use of proper cutting techniques, most of which get modified heavily when using a dull blade because we tend to do most of the work instead of letting the blade do it. More force when cutting means less control which equals more danger. When gifting a knife, it should come with admonitions of not only when and where to carry and cutting safety tips, but also advice on how to keep a knife sharp. Dull knives cut deeper, heal slower and are more painful. Getting cut by your own pocket knife is a rite of passage and needs to be experienced (or witnessed) by all boys. While society has changed and knives are not as necessary as they once were, earning the privilege of carrying your own knife is cool. It won’t be long, every time a knife is needed, people will look to you!

Did you know the Bible is often compared to a sword? Ephesians 6:17 says explicitly, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” and Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” While considering the similarities between the two tools, the knife of the pocket and the sword of the Spirit, we quickly realize the great responsibility and privilege that comes with carrying them. Both must be handled correctly and with respect. Paul actually told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Correctly handling the Sword of God is important, and so is keeping it sharp. If we don’t keep the Word of God we carry sharp, sharing God’s word is like cutting with a dull knife. We have to force it, there is more chance of slipping up and cutting too deep in the wrong place. But when handled correctly and respectfully, it won’t be long before every time the Word is needed, people will look to you!

-Jeff

March 16, 2025

It was this time of year, the spring, when the kings went out to battle but this year he just didn’t feel like going, so he sent Joab to lead the rest of Israel in the battles (2 Samuel 11:1). The Bible doesn’t tell us what was going on in David’s head but clearly he was struggling with something. David was known as a warrior, not only had he killed Goliath at a young age (1 Samuel 17:48-51), every mission Saul sent him on, David was successful and people began to see and even sing about his success (1 Samuel 18:5-7). But this spring he was bogged down. Something had him addled for going to battle was what the kings did and he was a warrior king. Maybe he just felt he needed change. Maybe he’d grown bored with the same old same old. Whatever the reason, this spring his heart just wasn’t in it. The result was catastrophic. Because he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing, because he was caught up in some other thought process, because he was dissatisfied in some way with his life; David decided to stay at home and change things up. His decision and lack of commitment led him to an affair with the wife of Uriah, one of his mighty men, one of his inner circle. When she became pregnant, he sank deeper into his change and further from God, eventually arranging Uriah’s death at the hands of the enemy. It was nothing short of murder in the first degree; premeditated but totally blind to the depths of his fall. The prophet Nathan would come and help him to see the error of his ways with a story he knew would spark David’s outrage and indignation only to discover he himself was the guilty party (2 Samuel 12:1-15). It is from the depths of this guilt and sorrow David penned Psalm 51, a complete confession of his wrongdoing, a plea for a new heart and a pledge to do better. We are most familiar with verses 10-12,”Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit” (Psalms 51:10-12). David learned the hard way when things are not going right for us at home, work and even in the church, very often the change needed is not in the circumstances of the life around us but the change needed is within our very own hearts. On Sunday, Christians all over the world will gather with the saints to praise and worship God in song and prayer. They will remember and celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of His son and they will strengthen and encourage one another. Like kings going to battle in the spring, Christians meet with the church on Sundays - because it’s just what we do. Will you stay at home like David?

-jeff

March 09, 2025

You have no doubt heard the old saying, “Hind sight is 20/20.” If we know ultimately how the chips will fall decisions become much easier to make. Sometimes perspective also makes decisions easier too. Even though football season is behind us, we all know the term “arm chair quarterback.” It is applied to those who strut around saying what they would have done in a given situation. No doubt their training and skill set is what put them in the arm chair observing the event in the first place but they also view the action from a much different angle and often repeatedly view and review the play. It is one thing to make a decision sitting in your cushy recliner, eating chips and bean dip with an ice cold glass of sweet tea sitting in the built in cup holder of your sectional while you watch the action unfold in HD on your wide screen plasma TV from a camera high above the field while insulated from the sometimes harsh elements doled out by the weather and the expectations of performance from fans, other players, coaches and owners, not to mention a running commentary giving you advice and educating you. It is also easy to make a decision when the consequences of your decision will never have any effect whatsoever on you personally. This is not a defense of overpaid athletes and coaches nor an attack on overweight arm chair quarterbacks, but simply an illustration of perspective and decision making. Unfortunately, we cannot make decisions based on hind sight and despite our best efforts the whole picture is rarely if ever revealed until we are committed. Most of our decisions do not have moral implications, especially if we are committed to taking God with us. The commitment to make God a part of our daily lives is a decision in itself placing us in the heat of the action. The decision to put on Christ is really a no brainer once we get to know God. The Bible tells us repeatedly God does not and in fact cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19) so we can be assured the place Jesus went to prepare for us (John 14:1-3) exists and is being made ready for those who do His will (Matthew 7:21). His will can be discerned by giving ourselves fully to Him (Romans 12:1-2) and by continuing to study and learn his word we can have complete confidence in our decision (John 20:31; 1 John 5:13). We are also told our decision to follow Christ will not always be easy (Matthew 10:16) but also God is always with us and nothing can separate us from His love (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:35-39). The rich man’s hind sight in Luke 16:19-31 is fore sight for us and God’s word and His promise give us all the perspective we need to know the promise of heaven and judgement is coming (Hebrews 9:27). What will your decision be?

-jeff

March 02, 2025

Have you ever wondered what Moses’ mother called him? The logical assumption would be Moses but according to Exodus 2:10 it was Pharaoh’s daughter who actually named him calling him Moses because she “drew him out of water.” More important than what she called him was what she taught him in the short time she had him. It was no accident when and where Moses was placed in the Nile nor was it an accident his sister approached with the suggestion of finding one of the Hebrew women to nurse and raise this Hebrew child. It is possible upon recognizing the child as a Hebrew, the Egyptian princess knew she would be turning the child back over to its own mother for a time making the offer to pay wages for his care even more amazing. Like what Moses’ mother called him, the Bible also does not specify the exact age of Moses when he went to live in the palace with his adoptive mother. Speculations abound suggesting the transfer occurred anywhere from 1 year to 6 or 7 years, but most think he was around 2 years old when Jochebed, Moses’ mother (Exodus 6:20), transferred him to the princess. While most details remain obscure, we can be sure Moses knew who he was. Knowing time was short and that she’d managed to save his life, Jochebed must have used the time she had with him to teach him about God, about the promise God made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Despite growing up in the opulence of the palace away from the forced labor and harsh treatment of the Israelites, Moses knew who “his people” were, so much so that he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew – one of his people (Exodus 2:11-12).

We often talk about the type of world we live in and how corrupt and evil it is. We talk about what kids have to deal with these days and admittedly they have some pretty tough stuff thrown at them. Moses grew up in a house where everything he heard, saw and experienced was against what “his people” believed. Despite this influence, he still knew who he was. There is a lesson here on what we need to be teaching our children and when. Recall Robert Fulghum’s book, All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten, where he suggests the world would be a much better place if we just remembered things like, sharing, being kind to one another and cleaning up after ourselves. These basic principles are learned early. What could be more basic than who and whose we are? I wonder what Moses thought as he penned the inspired words “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

-jeff

February 23, 2025

I remember back in Junior High School taking a very basic class in computer programming. It was basic on a number of levels but largely because computer programming was in its infancy and politicians hadn’t invented the internet yet! My best friend Fred had already completed basic programming and had moved on to Pascal. For him, programming seemed to come easy. About the only thing I understood were ‘if-then’ statements. These statements called for the computer to make a decision. If certain conditions are met, the computer does one thing; if they are not met – another. While computer programming may only go back 50 years or so, ‘if-then’ statements have been around a long time. While certainly not the first, a particularly poignant ‘if-then’ can be found in Exodus 15:26. The Israelites have just crossed the Red Sea and witnessed not only the destruction of the Egyptian army in the sea but over the last six months or so had observed the utter destruction of Egypt, the debunking of the Egyptian gods and undeniable evidence the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the one true and living God. He was their God and now he made them an offer, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.” Very simple, very straight forward, the health care plan I have been looking for! What a bargain! Amazing! How incredibly foolish the Israelites must have been to not take Him up on this. If you diligently listen, do and keep, then I will protect. Time and time again we read of the Israelites grumbling against the Lord and ultimately wandering in the wilderness for forty years as punishment for siding with ten of the twelve spies who had little if any faith in God. Only two of the ‘originals’ delivered from Egypt would see the Promised Land (Numbers 14:22-23). How could the Israelites be so short sighted – blind even, as to not recognize the power and the promise of the Lord. Silly Israelites! What would you do different if you had their ‘if-then’? “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6) so surely we can learn from their mistakes. While you are thinking about what you would do differently, think about this verse: “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Hey! What do you know? It’s an ‘if-then’ for us! We can’t really laugh at the Israelites and their bad decisions if we are going to do the same thing. How about this one, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

-jeff

February 16, 2025

I remember the day my dad came home from a men’s meeting at church and posed an innocent question. I was watching Saturday morning wrestling on a green vinyl couch that sat against the wall just to the left of the door off the carport as you walked in the house. He said something along the lines of, “Son, they are going to put a baseball team together at church, you think you might want to play?” I am pretty sure I said yes and I am equally sure neither of us knew the significance and long-term effects of my casual response. I think I was five years old but to be truthful, it was several years before I actually played in a game. I did practice a lot. For the next eighteen years, baseball was my life. Well, maybe not all of those 18 years, but for sure the last ten of it. Despite being a Christian, baseball came first (an honest but not proud admission). I remember my last collegiate at bat. It was against the Wonderboys of Arkansas Tech in Russelville, Arkansas. I hit the ball 400 feet to centerfield. It landed in the glove of their centerfielder who was standing right in front of the sign that read 405 feet. It was nothing but a long fly ball. Thinking back on my time on the diamond, my last at bat sums up my career. At the crack of the bat fans rose to their feet; it might be, it could be … nope he’s out; a perfect illustration of James 4:14, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” I have many fond memories, a couple pretty good highlights and many great life lessons; the greatest of which revolves around the fact that I am reminiscing events from thirty-three years ago. Talk about laying up treasures where moth and rust destroy! I put on my old cleats for an alumni game several years ago and as I ran out to my position during batting practice the soles fell off! heard it a thousand times, “Can’t avoid death …” However we were not created in the likeness of God so that we might die, but we were created so that we might live. Maybe we ought to spend more time preparing for eternity than how to pay for college or fund retirement.

-jeff

February 9, 2025

“I don’t know why she was so mad; I thought the skunk hide turned out beautifully, but anyway, I might need a place to stay for a few days.” This was the message I sent to a couple of my closest friends who I thought would understand. It is trapping season and you just never know what you will catch! To be honest though, I did not catch the skunk in a trap, rather I saw it unscathed lying on the side of the road and decided the fur was just stunning. In fact, at the time, I was thinking of starting a collection of skunk hides to highlight their variation and beauty. While currently rethinking that plan, there are a number of Biblical lessons we can learn and applications we can make from trapping fur bearers. First of all, to be a good trapper, one must know the animal he is targeting. Knowing an animal’s likes and dislikes, his habits and habitat are crucial in making a successful catch. Once the habits are learned, the next most important part is deception. Deception involves lures and attractants using both visual attractions and various scents to challenge, seduce or entice the target animal into the vicinity of the trap. Bait is also used to capitalize on every living thing’s need to eat and a seemingly free meal is not always free! Finally, camouflaging or hiding the actual trap is a necessary, because anything out of the ordinary will clue the animal to be alert and wary and ultimately avoid the trap. I realize this is a vast oversimplification of trapping but I share some of the basics with you because Satan is a trapper. He uses similar lures and enticements to snare his victims too. He studies our habits to know where to place stumbling blocks. He studies our lives to know what we like and don’t care for so he is not wasting his time with unattractive attractants. He tailors each set to his specific quarry. He is a very good trapper. He pays no attention to seasons, hunting year round and often doing some of his best work out of season - when we least expect it. Worst of all, he has no respect for and no use for his catch. He just enjoys watching them squirm and suffer. The Bible is very clear about Satan. He is on the prowl constantly seeking his next catch (1 Peter 5:9) and has been doing so for a long, long time (Job 1:612). He has attempted to capture some “big game.” The Twelve were not immune. He went after Judas (Luke 22:3) then Peter (Luke 22:31) and even Jesus himself (Matthew 4:1-11). It is not surprising to learn he would come after one of us. So whether you put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) or you simply draw near to God (James 4:7-8) and let Him do the fighting for you, be alert (1 Peter 5:8, 1 Corinthians 16:13) because he is coming to try and trick you.

 -jeff

February 2, 2025

There are a several things in this world that universally make people smile. Sure, there are those who never seem to smile, but I am really referring to Christians; those who have every reason to smile, who smile often and look forward to smiling again. I guess I would be referring to those who are joyful. One of those things that make folks smile came over my phone this morning at 12:30 AM. That sounds early in the morning, but in Hawaii, it is only 8:30 in the evening! You have probably figured out; I am talking about a video of my twin granddaughters. However, it is not the video that universally makes people smile, it is the audio on the video. They are laughing. Both of them. Each time they made eye contact, they busted out laughing. A baby’s laughter makes people smile. I confess, I have shared this video with a number of people this morning and all have smiled. Many if not most have said, “Thank you. I needed that

this morning.” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Not surprisingly, science has proven this fact. In the article, “What’s the Science Behind a Smile,” the author, Ding Li, says, “Researchers had proven that intentionally exercising your zygomaticus major muscle and orbicularis oculi muscle can actually make us feel better.” She goes on to explain even fake smiles stimulate the release of endorphins in the brain that make us feel better. She explains, research has found smiling sends a message to the brain triggering our internal reward system and it increases levels of happy hormones and endorphins creating sort of a happy loop. Simplified, when our brain is happy, we smile and smiling makes our brain feel happier. Fake smiles work too and she

even suggests holding a pencil in your mouth to stimulate the release of endorphins. There are other benefits to smiling too. Smiling has been shown to lower heart rate, reduce stress and even lower blood pressure. The best part though, is that smiling is contagious. Li says, “Seeing people smile stimulates our mirror neurons to suppress our facial muscle control and trigger a smile.” Science says smiling produces more smiling! Jesus said we are the “salt of the earth and light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt brings flavor to the flavorless and light brings hope in the deepest and darkest of places. A smile is the vehicle to carry both and no special license is required to drive this vehicle! There are no age restrictions or limits on smiling either. One just has to do it. We talk a lot about change and all the things that need to happen to make people better, to improve families, the church, our communities, our country and even the world. How about we start with something as simple as a smile? Try it. The science says you will like it and so will those around you.

-jeff

January 26, 2025

What would you say if someone came up to you and asked why you always seem so happy? “Your life may

be the only sermon someone ever hears,” has been stated in many different ways and is a sermon I have heard many

times over the years by many different preachers. The sermons are rooted in the old adage, “A picture is worth

a thousand words,” meaning, of course, what people see is often better than what we tell them. Often coupled with

scriptures like 1 Corinthians 12 that talk about all who are in Christ are parts of one body and we can’t all be the

same part. The passage paints a great picture as Paul asks the church at Corinth, “If the whole body were an eye,

where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be” (1 Corinthians

12:17)? He highlights the necessity and blessing of our different talents and abilities in the proper function of the

body of Christ. Too often though, I think Christians walk away from these lessons justifying and excusing their

lack of participation in the work of the church. Too often we hide behind, “I’m not that part of the body” or “that is

not my gift.” That type of thinking says we are ignoring or forgetting how Paul ends chapter 12 saying, “earnestly

desire the greater gifts and I will show you a better way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Jesus came to seek and save the

lost and “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). If our desire is to be like Him, we must be about the Father’s

business as well. After all, we are the body of which He is the head (Ephesians 1:22-23), so no matter what part

we are, we are still doing our part to spread His word with the skills we have. To say we have no skills is no excuse

either, the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 shows us God wants us to do something with what we have. He

expects it (Matthew 25:24-27). No matter what part we are, we should be happy to be a part of Christ. So back to

the original question, what would you say? Maybe I should have started with, “Would anyone ever come up

and ask you why you were so happy? If the answer is no, my next question would have to be something along the

lines of, “Well, what sermon are you preaching with this life of yours that may be the only sermon someone ever

hears?” As Christians, we should clearly be seen as joyful because we know “this world is not our home.” A

better place has been or is being prepared for us. Nothing can take that away. We used to sing this song, “I’m happy

today, Oh yes, I’m happy today, In Jesus Christ I’m happy today. Because He’s taken all my sins away and that’s

why I’m happy today!” By the way, what a great answer to the question we started with.

-jeff

January 19, 2025

The movie came out in 2013 and I probably would not have watched it except a very special little girl in my life loved it! Friday as I held another special little girl and watched the snow falling, I looked down into her very tired baby blue

eyes and whispered the only line I can remember from the movie, “Do you want to build a snowman?” Her big green

pacifier stopped bobbing and a sweet little smile emerged around its edges as heavy eyelids fluttered shut. A couple

hours later, I was rolling the middle section of their snowman as they slept and Austin came out of the house and said, “Dad! You should have told us you were building snowmen; we could have helped! The team is on the way.” The house was full, it has been for weeks and the snow had brought everyone back together one more time to hunt, play and spend time together. For me, it was better than Christmas and the truth was, I kind of wanted/needed to roll a few snowballs on my own for a little bit. I was not looking forward to everyone leaving. As I finished the body of my

snowman and lifted it into place, the “team” started filtering out of the house bundled in warm snow gear, ready to work on the best snowman ever. I watched them and thought of Austin’s statement and it reminded me of the church. We are family and so many times we have shared each other’s burdens. Paul wrote to the church on Rome, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality” (Romans 12:10-13). My “team” as Austin referred to them, showed up to help. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle building the best snowman ever on my own. It wasn’t that the boys and their wives thought I needed the help to finish the task. They were just happy to help and they all pitched in from retrieving charcoal for the eyes, sticks for arms and hydrangea blooms for buttons on

his coat to rolling and lifting the heavy sections of the perfect snowman, they all played a part, different parts in completing the task. In the end, they made it more fun. They made it easier. They made it memorable and I look forward to the next time and doing it again. I can think of a number of times when the church came together to help complete a task, but I can also remember plenty times when I thought, “Man! I wish I’d known; we could have helped!” The Hebrew writer wrote, “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). We often have no problem letting our needs be known to God (Philippians 4:6), but very often we forget He left the church as an answer to our prayer.

-jeff

January 12, 2025

I believe people are inherently good, but I also believe that we can be trained to be selfish. I don’t mean like

the childish selfishness where we constantly say, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” If we are not trained to think

about others, it may appear that we only think about self. So often we only see what we want to see and

there are a lot of things that go unseen. For instance, do you see trash in the parking lot or candy paper on

the floor? If you’re not looking for it, you likely won’t see it. That’s just an example and not picking up trash

that you don’t see doesn’t necessarily make you selfish. But it does mean we have not trained ourselves to

look for ways we can help. Another example, where do you park in the parking lot? Is it in your mindset to park

closest to the door or is it in your mindset to leave the spot closest to the door open for someone that might

need it more than you want it. I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t give somebody something that they

needed when made aware of the need. But I see lots of people who do seemingly selfish things simply because

we’re not thinking about it. I say “we” because I have to include myself in this group at times. Sometimes

I just get in a hurry and don’t think. Sometimes I’m just thinking about what’s best for me.

The new year has me thinking about being a better person, and part of being a better person is being aware of

how my actions inadvertently affect others. I know you can take this too far and I don’t want to suggest

overthinking, but I recall when Jesus heard about the death of his cousin John the Baptist. Heartbroken and

grieving, he sought a place of solitude and prayer. No one would fault him and everyone would understand

his needing to take a break to process. Instead, he noticed those who’d come to see him. He put their needs

first. He thought about others before himself. This morning, I challenge myself to see the little things I can

do to make the lives of those around me better even though they may never notice.

-jeff

January 5, 2025

There are some verses in the Bible we should put a mental asterisk by, especially when applying them to life ituations

of those outside of Christ and those who refuse to walk in the light. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has

overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what

you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” What an encouraging verse for one trying to be a disciple of God! Yet the way of escape is not always easy. It is not always marked with a neon sign or flashing arrows and it may not even be recognizable as a way out. I think of Peter prior to Judas’ betrayal professing his undying commitment and love for Jesus only to hear Jesus say, “Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32). Three times that night, he was tempted to deny Christ. Three times he failed to see his way out. I think of Noah and Lot, the former having to build an ark and the latter told to, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away” (Genesis 19:17). Peter tells us if God can save Noah and Lot, then certainly he knows “how to rescue the godly from temptation” (2 Peter 2:9). This supports Paul’s words to the Corinthians about God making a way. The asterisk is needed because we often use this verse when we find ourselves or an acquaintance in the proverbial hole because they did NOT resist temptation in the first place. The context of the passage in 1 Corinthians 10 tells the church to quit making the same mistakes Israel made. This chapter directly references Numbers 25 where 23000 died because they refused to follow God; apparently only realizing the cause of their affliction when Phinehas rose and killed an unrepentant, blatantly disrespectful Israelite who pranced his unrighteous relationship in front of the whole assembly. It took this most drastic measure for them to see the way out was to turn back to God. We pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We quote, “He maketh me lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters …” But we live like, “Hey God, I said, let’s go this way!” If we expect to find the ways to overcome temptation, we must first understand what temps us, recognize when temptations are coming and with eyes wide open, put on the whole armor of God, draw near to God and submit to His entire word. May we all say, “’Yea though I walk through the valley of death,’ but I walk with the King and I will not be afraid.

-jeff                                                   

December 29, 2024

In Matthew 13:44 Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure buried in a field. A man discovers the treasure, rehides it, then goes and sells all he had in order to purchase the field so he could own the treasure. Commentaries suggest the treasure, Christ, is hidden in the open and is available to all who would have it. Recently, I began to wonder exactly how the treasure wound up in the middle of the field in the first place. After all, it’s not exactly hidden well; it’s in the middle of a field. Granted, a foot of grass can hide a sizable treasure and one cannot ignore the cleverness of hiding a treasure in the wide open. If I can’t find a single shoe in the middle of the floor, I am just as likely to miss a treasure in the middle of a field. The catch is, somebody placed the treasure in the middle of the field. If it was the owner, why did he sell without getting his treasure first? If it was really a treasure, wouldn’t the original owner be checking up on it? Maybe the original owner had the treasure so long he forgot its value. Possibly death came before the treasure could be handed down to the next generation. Could be the next generation knew about it but

didn’t feel like they needed it. The treasure could have been taken for granted. “It’s been there for years and it will be there when I need it.” Then there is the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Maybe the original owner didn’t even see it as treasure and put it in the middle of the field, out of sight, to avoid being reminded about it all the time. Surely, no one would view the kingdom of heaven as trash, and yet someone let a great treasure get away because they no longer saw its value or realized its importance. In any case, the message of this parable is not only about the availability of Christ, His eternal value and the lengths we should go to obtain the treasure, but there is a message of caution to those of us who already possess this treasure. Don’t let it slip away. Don’t forget about it. Don’t forget to pass it on to our children and grandchildren, making sure they understand the value of the treasure by showing them its value not telling them. Never take the treasure for granted or leave it unattended. A hidden

treasure isn’t worth much. When we have the treasure with us it is much easier to share. If you’ve lost your treasure, it’s right out in the open, do what it takes to get it back (even if you have to sell everything). If you never had the treasure, I can tell you where I found mine and I’d be happy to share. As the new year approaches, let’s make a point of not only securing our treasure but sharing it with the world around us!

-Jeff

December 22, 2024

It’s almost here! Behold the Fat Man cometh! Ready or not Christmas is only days away. “In the air there is a

feeling of Christmas. Children laughing (giddy with anticipation and on their best behavior because ‘you know

who’ is watching) people passing; meeting smile after smile (for the most part even though some seem to forget

‘you know who’ is watching).” “Santa’s big scene” is quickly approaching. Candies, stuffing and even the

Christmas Goose are all being prepared to celebrate family, fellowship and love (at least that’s the idea). Anticipation

of the big day is palpable. It is difficult not to get caught up in the excitement. My world is filled with people

preparing for one big day. It may happen in the first light of dawn or later in morning but most people I know

will be racing to the tree in anticipation of what might be there with their name on it (remember I work with children).

If you know me well, you know I am not a big fan of the commercialization of Christmas nor am I a big fan

of those who go over the top to celebrate Jesus birthday but maybe Jesus is more the reason the reason for the season than we like to admit. Maybe once a year we get to practice the way we ought to be living. Think about this

for a second. Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go

to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself,

that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2). He further states “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so

that no one may seize your crown” (Revelation 3:11). In other words, get ready for the day is coming. Imagine a

world full of people rushing around getting ready for the big day. Imagine the continued excitement, anticipation

and joy of everyone you know and meet getting ready for the coming of the King. Suddenly The Night Before

Christmas takes on a whole new meaning. Dick’s Sporting Goods used to have the ad campaign, “Give a gift

worth giving.” As I think about the merchandise in that store, I wonder, “If Jesus is coming soon, is there a single

thing in this store worth giving?” For God So loved the world He gave His son …. Along with all you other gifts

this year and while people are looking under the tree to make sure nothing was overlooked, remember God left

His gift on the tree not under it. The best gift we can give is the Gospel. So, while folks are talking about his birth,

let’s keep our eyes and ears peeled for opportunities to tell the ones we love most about the good news of His

death burial and resurrection and the promise of hope that comes with it!

-jeff

December 15, 2024

So according to the internet, the thorns of a Honey Locust tree are not poisonous. The tree is quite native to West Tennessee and while it can grow practically anywhere, it loves “the moist soil of river valleys.” Being prolific in the moist soils of river valleys would explain why a duck hunter might come into contact with one of these spikey trees. One of my favorite spots to hunt is literally surrounded, or maybe I should say protected by thousands of them. In my experience, the spikes on the tree trunks grow in clusters and can get as long as 4-6 inches and be almost a quarter inch thick at the base. They are incredibly sharp and fine tipped so when you are impaled by one, invariably the tip breaks off well beneath the surface of the skin and while not poisonous, the little foreign particle is rarely welcomed by the human body. Furthermore, while scientific evidence has eluded me, I am fairly certain the thorns are coated in some kind of anticoagulant, because in a very short time, there seems to be blood everywhere as the bleeding just won’t stop! Which is really fine, because when it does, the swelling and festering starts and the real pain begins. Whether you stop to cut your body open to find the tiny tip of the thorn (often hard to see through the blood) or wait and soak the wounded part in Epsom salts, the next 24 to 48 hours are going to be painful when the affected area is touched or moved. One thing is for sure though, the pain will not stop until the tip of the thorn is removed. Unfortunately, I know this from too much experience the most recent being last Saturday when the tip of my right index finger was impaled deeply by what was probably a world record setting locust spike in the categories of length, strength and sharpness. We will never know though as the thought of being named in Ripley’s Believe It or Not or the Guiness Book of World Records came as an afterthought while I was doing the one-legged crotch hop, a move often though to help relieve pain achieved by wrapping the non-wounded hand around the wounded one, placing both between the legs and jumping up while down howling or muttering intelligibly. I am a mutterer and I think I was muttering as I studied Matthew 18:22 and Jesus words on forgiveness after Peter asked how many times to forgive a brother. I found an article based on a sermon by a guy named Dr. MacArther entitled, The Danger of Unforgiveness. The author outlined four points of what holding on to the wrongs done to us will do. First, a lack of forgiveness imprisons us in the past, then it produces bitterness and opens the door for Satan to take root in our lives and finally, the inability to forgive hinders our fellowship God. As my finger throbbed, I couldn’t help but notice, that little thorn tip inside of me is just like unforgiveness. It’s not hurting the tree I got it from, but it’s killin’ me!

—jeff

December 8, 2024

What did we do before we had cell phones? I left mine in the truck two hours ago when I came to the woods. My intention was to bring it. I brought my computer so I could “multitask,” essentially setting up an office in the woods! Without my phone, I can’t set up a hotspot, so the internet is unavailable. The boys know where I am and I assume they told their mother, but as I sit here and think of the things I left in the truck, I wonder now if I told her. I saw two bobcat kittens and no one in the world knows about it yet. A rabbit just ran out in front of my deer blind then circled back to a clump of grass to watch his back trail. He’s probably watching for those two silly cats – but he hasn’t moved a muscle in 20 minutes! Something scared the small buck that I was watching feed. I know he walked past one of our trail cams and the boys are texting me to see if I saw it. I can’t respond though or tell them what I am seeing, because I left my phone in the truck. There are two Carolina Wrens who really want to come in the deer blind for the night, but they do not trust me and can’t get past the windowsill – probably has something to do with me not having a phone. As the darkness approaches, I can’t help but wonder if you called and needed something. I wonder how cold it will get tonight but can’t check because I don’t have my phone. It’s kind of funny the more I think about it, I wonder if more people need me when I don’t have my phone than when I do. I wonder if bad things will happen to folks because I don’t have my phone. Ok, not really, but I hope you are beginning to see and understand how much many of us have gotten attached to our phones. Most likely, no one has called or texted. Most assuredly, the world has not stopped turning. Most definitely I have seen and heard things in the last two hours I probably would not have seen or heard if I’d had my phone. The sunset is absolutely beautiful with reds and pinks. Seems like there is a saying about red skies at sunset. If I had my phone, I could look it up or at least take a picture that wouldn’t do it justice. What would happen if my relationship with God and the church were similar to my relationship with my phone. Would I miss Him if I left Him in the truck for two hours? Would I be reminded of and miss all the things I cannot do without Him, or maybe do I have a better relationship with my phone than I do my God? It’s just something to think about.

—jeff

December 1, 2024

Not too long ago, I declined an invitation to a special event because it was scheduled on a Sunday during evening worship. The host was astonished asking can’t you just miss this one time? No, I cannot miss this one time. Frankly, I claim that Jesus is Lord in my life and my missing church for your event would make me out to be a liar. I do not want to miss assembling with the saints. The church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23) and when they meet, I want to be there. Additionally, I do happen to be employed there, let’s not forget that. “Well, what about when you go on vacation? You miss going to church then,” they argued. No, no I don’t. I mean I do miss worshipping with the congregation at Covington, but there are congregations of the Lord’s church scattered all over the country. I go to church on vacation. In fact, I often reconnect with an old friend or meet someone there who knows someone I know from back home or past encounters, but even when I don’t, I always enjoy visiting with other congregations. Vacation is not about taking a break from being who I am. I do not take a vacation from being a Christian. I cannot get on a cruise ship and sail out to the middle of the ocean and leave my character and principles at the dock. Christianity is not what I do, it is supposed to be who I am. Look, just because my struggles may not look like yours or the struggles of others, doesn’t mean I do not have them. Satan comes at me differently but he still comes. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and one sin is just as bad as another. Proverbs 6:16-19 talks about things that are an abomination to the Lord and the things listed rarely make the “top ten sins” list. The white lies of a false witness couldn’t be worse than the homosexual, could it? Yet, homosexuality doesn’t make this list, neither does child molester, spouse abuser, rapist, murderer and a great host of things we generally think are really bad. But when I willfully skip the assembly of the saints without a legitimate reason of service or sickness, I feel like a false witness. You may not see it as turning your back on God, but truthfully it is no different than Peter in the courtyard the night Jesus was arrested (Matthew 26:69-74). “Hey, weren’t you with Jesus?” Hey mind your own business! “No seriously, didn’t you invite me to church? Aren’t you a Christian?” He I said shut up! What do I have to do to prove it’s ok I am not at church, curse, tell a dirty joke, laugh at the people who wouldn’t come because it’s during church, drink what you’re drinking! What do I have to do to prove that is not who I am!!? “Hey man, chill. It’s just one time. Besides, nobody really cares anyway.” Yeah, and maybe that is the problem. Cocka-doodle-doo.

—jeff

November 24, 2024

We are all familiar with the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Seeds fall in various soil conditions and those conditions affect the progress and growth of the seeds. The explanation of the parable is in verses 18-23. Many sermons have been preached on these passages most often having to do with spreading the Gospel. Today however I saw something at Mt. Rushmore that made me think. It opened my eyes and I have seen it over and over. Frankly, it is not a strange phenomenon or rare event. I was walking by a boulder and there in the side of it grew a tree! As I looked closer, I saw not a crack, but just a small deformity in the rock allowing it to catch some leaf litter which broke down over time and made a very tiny pocket of soil where a seed landed and took root. The pine tree was about three inches in diameter and appeared to be healthy and growing. So, I reread the story because this tree had clearly been there for some time. Let’s take a closer look at verses 20 and 21, “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Instead of looking from the sowers perspective, let’s look at it from the receiver’s perspective. Specifically, let’s look at the beginning of verse 21, “yet he has no root in himself.” I’ve always thought this whole lesson was on the soil and the fact that some soil is just not good for growing, but this little phrase changes things. It’s not just the soil, its also about the kind of people who accept the word. This guy had no root; no intestinal fortitude; no gumption; no courage. He lost focus and hope. The word in him didn’t die because the seed was bad or because it couldn’t grow where it fell. The word died because the receiver quit. There is no doubt his situation was not the best to start with, the fertile soil of the river valley is much more conducive for growth than a crack in a rock. God never said being a Christian would be easy, in fact he warns of temptation and persecution for those who live Godly lives (2 Timothy 3:12). Maintaining our commitment can be hard but always possible (1 Corinthians 10:13). I’m not much into trying to figure out the hearts of others but we can always examine our own. Are you still growing? Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11).

—jeff

November 17, 2024

Every morning, I hear interesting comments from parents and students as they exit their vehicles. Sometimes the comments are funny, sometimes they are sad. Sometimes I cannot write down or even repeat the words I hear! This morning’s phrase of the day, “Say your prayers and tie your shoes!” I hear, “Tie your shoes,” “Pull those pants up,” “Fix your skirt” and “Tuck in that shirt tail” fairly often, but “say your prayers” was a first and it made me smile, especially when followed up with, “I will Momma, I love you too.” Something in the comment resonated in my mind all day. I kept thinking of my prayer life and how unintentionally, this mother had given me a statement to help define and demonstrate what a Christian life should look like. Jesus told his disciples they should “pray and not lose heart” (Matthew 18:1). Paul told the church in Thessalonica to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and the church at Colossae to “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). We are familiar with Jesus’ prayer life and maybe even its necessity in ours, but the “tie your shoes” part of the comment coupled with praying is what seemed to catch my attention. Interestingly, shoes and prayer are also mentioned as Paul talked about the “whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-18, reminding me of a phrase I heard or read a long time ago, “Pray as if everything depends on God, but work as if everything depends on you.” When wearing shoes made to be tied, tying them keeps us from tripping over the strings. No parent wants to see their child hurt over something so easily preventable, so we remind them when we see they are untied. Wouldn’t it be awesome if our kids learned prayer was as essential for daily life as tying our shoes! Tying our shoes also keeps us ready for action without fear of them coming off or slipping when we need good footing. James reminds us to pray with expectation, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7). We pray often for change, hope and help. On some level tying up our shoes says not only are we willing to walk the walk, doing our part, it says we are confidently expecting the Lord will answer our prayers and we are ready to do his will. It’s kind of like the two farmers who prayed for rain, but only one grabbed his umbrella on the way out the door. I hope you have a great day. Don’t forget to say your prayers – and tie your shoes.

—jeff

November 10, 2024

I open a lot of car doors each morning and with each door I open I am given a small view into the lives of students and how they live. Realizing it is just thirty seconds, I try hard not to make too broad assumptions about what I see, hear and sometimes smell. However, this morning I witnessed something that made me think back to previous mornings with this family and while this morning was not out of character for them, it was over the top and gave me pause. I am making assumptions now about this family based on what I have witnessed. This morning when I opened the door, it was not billowing cigarette smoke, too loud music or a cascade of garbage. What greeted me was what can only be described as raucous, tear-filled laughter! I couldn’t help but laugh as the two boys exited the car holding their stomachs, wiping tears and trying to tell their similarly afflicted mother they loved her, would see her later and have a nice day. I have no idea what they were laughing at, the boys couldn’t explain. As they went through the door clapping one another on the back, I could help but think, that is not normal. It’s not that it shouldn’t be normal, it’s just not normal. As I reflected, on these two, I realized this morning is not much different than other mornings. I recall a few mornings when one of the boys was not happy or even a little mad. I remember when the mother was clearly sticking to her guns and the boys were just as clearly aware of her resoluteness and their indiscretion. Mostly though, as I think about this family, I characterize them as happy. Frankly, I would not be surprised if they were members of the Lord’s church. Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). They clearly love one another and enjoy one another’s company. It made me wonder, what do others see in the way I live? When others see me, those who are familiar with God’s word, are they reminded of a scripture like John 13:34-35 or maybe the first part of Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine”? I realize you can’t look at one piece of a puzzle and figure out the picture, but as more pieces are collected, the picture can begin to take shape. I also realize it is easy to fake it and give people a false impression. Strip that away and look into your own heart. Are you generally happy? If not why? Jesus says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and is where our intentions lie (Matthew 15:18-19). What’s in your heart?

—jeff

November 3, 2024

Driving down the road year-round you can see the remnants of the Virginia opossum who tried to cross the road last night, so often in fact, we may not even take notice of the fresh, furry road kill. The opossum is a marsupial. There are about 250 species of marsupials. We sometimes think of marsupials as mammals that have pouches, like the opossum or the kangaroo, but many of the species do not sport a fancy pouch for their young. What sets marsupials apart is premature birth and a study of specific marsupial life cycles is eye-opening and amazing. Folklore once taught the opossum was bred through the nose and then the female sneezed the babies into her pouch! There are good reasons for this postulation but erroneous conclusions were drawn from the observations giving rise to these old wives’ tales. However, the truth is none the less just as incredible. A female opossum can give birth to as many as 25 little ones after only 12.5 days of gestation. They are so small, 20 of them could fit into a teaspoon and they are not born inside the pouch but have to make their way from the outside, where they are delivered, to the inside of the pouch where there is not only shelter and warmth but food. They look like tiny two-armed jelly beans and somehow, they must crawl through the fur following a moist path made by their mother’s licking and into the pouch where they attach themselves to the mother by swallowing an elongated nipple. As if the journey from birth canal to pouch wasn’t difficult enough, there are typically only thirteen nipples in the pouch and some of them may not be functional which means not only does the hairless, blind, embryonic looking baby have to get there - to survive, it has to arrive first! Once attached, the babies will stay in the pouch continuing to grow and develop for two and a half months. Their eyes open at 55-70 days and soon it becomes too crowded in the pouch so they move out onto the mother’s back. At three months, they are weaned and by five months they are on their own at an amazingly small 7-9 inches in length. There are those who would have us believe this life cycle and many others were accidental, chance occurrences, the result of evolution and not a creator. Romans 1:20 tells us, “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature” are clearly visible to those who observe. Job said, “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this” (Job 12:7-9)? Whether it is in the color changes of fall, the smile of a child or maybe even a squished opossum, I hope you “see” God today and your day is full of joy and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

—jeff

October 27, 2024

I went to get a haircut this morning. I hate the idea of paying for a haircut and years ago I actually didn’t. I cut my own hair. I didn’t and still don’t really care how it looks but one day Pawpaw Dale Laxton told me to come by the barbershop. I told him no I just didn’t want to pay for a haircut. “No offense, Pawpaw, but I just don’t want to waste the time either. I can do it in five minutes at home.” He put his arm around me and said, “Two things, I didn’t say anything about paying and you are in the pulpit more now.” When I asked what that meant, he smiled and said, “It means come by the barber shop and let me take care of you!” So, I did. When Pawpaw couldn’t cut hair anymore, he sent me to Mr. Coy. When I left today, Mr. Coy said, “I love you, Jeff. You be sure and call me if you need me.” I couldn’t help but think, first, my barbers are better than yours. Where else in the world can you go and get your hair cut and leave, maybe not looking better (not necessarily the barber’s fault), but feeling so much better than when you went in. As I drove, I couldn’t help but think - church. Church, meeting with the church, worshipping with the church, fellowshipping with the church is a lot like going to my barber shop. There is joy and peace there. There is camaraderie. There are smiles and laughter and sometimes tears. I always leave lighter, having been trimmed up and squared away, I always feel better. It is a refuge, a place I can love and feel loved. I’m sorry if you don’t feel that way after you leave the barbershop or hair salon, I would recommend Mr. Coy, but he’s not taking new customers. I feel even more sorry for you if you don’t feel that way after church. I’d recommend you come and stick around a minute to give us a chance to meet you and - newcomers are welcome here! I am not suggesting the barber shop is a substitute or model for the church and you can take any comparison too far, but I think there are some things we, as the church, should consider.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). So how do people feel when they leave the church? Is this a refuge, a safe place where people genuinely care for each other and those that visit? Furthermore, if we are to be a people of love, what is the result of every encounter we have? We call ourselves Christians, do leave people with a good taste of the love of Christ or big dose of hypocrisy? I’m praying one day Mr. Coy will come to meet my Christian family and see the love that abounds in God’s people.

-Jeff

October 20, 2024

Think for just a moment about what God can do. He can do anything right? I hear it said all the time. In fact, the scriptures even say multiple times, “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). This particular reference in Luke one came as the angel Gabriel visited Mary, the soon to be mother of Jesus, in Nazareth to inform her she would give birth to a son even though she was a virgin and to give credence to his point he said, “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month” (Luke 1:36). Jesus, himself also said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) in response to his disciples’ question of “Then who can be saved?” They weren’t just asking who can be saved. On the heels of a conversation with a very wealthy young man who’d kept the laws of Moses faithfully and wanted to know what else he needed to inherit salvation, Jesus responded essentially with give everything you have away and trust me. He couldn’t do it and Jesus’ response prompted the question, if he can’t who can? Even though they had seen many, many miracles showing Jesus’ authority over any and everything you can imagine, they still had to be verbally reminded, “Nothing is impossible with God.” The Old Testament has its scriptures too, beginning with Abraham and Sarah conceiving at almost 100 yeas old (Genesis 18:14ff). Job admits there is nothing too difficult for God in Job 42:2 as do the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah (Jeremiah 32:17; Zechariah 8:6). Having witnessed in the Scriptures what God can do when we believe and obey, why then do we still have doubts and sometimes even make excuses for God? I wish I could explain why God sometimes answers my prayers with a “no,” but I can’t. I understand my thoughts are not His thoughts, and His ways are not mine and His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). I also wish I could pray without doubt. “Thy will be done” can be what it says, but it can also be uttered to cover a lack of faith. Someone may well say, “Jeff, you have to be realistic in your requests to God.” Oh, I see. Well, what is more real than God? In the beginning of James, he says we must ask in faith without any doubting (James 1:26) if we expect answers. At the end of James, he says the prayers of a righteous man “can accomplish much” (James 5:16). Dare I consider, maybe I am the problem with my prayers? There is another passage in Mark 9 where a father asks Jesus to help if he can. Jesus says, “If I can? All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). The father responds, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” Me too, Lord. Me too.

-jeff

October 13, 2024

Sunday at church, a brother asked me if I had ever wondered why God rested on the seventh day. Did he need it? Did the creation of the world take so much out of Him He just had to take a break? If so, then maybe God is not as all powerful as we might think, so no, He certainly didn’t need it, but he did it anyway. Maybe it is because He is not only all powerful, never needing a break from anything, but all knowing and all loving too and, in His omniscience, He knew the height of His creation, though wonderfully marvelous, would not be able to sustain an endless pace of work, work, work. It is also possible that since everything was created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16), He knew the fullest appreciation for His creation would only come if He stopped for a moment to observe, admire and enjoy what He’d created.

Whatever His reason, for God’s ways are not man’s ways and His thoughts are higher than man’s (Isaiah 55:8-9), we can be assured He had a very good reason. This morning in the predawn hours, I sat in a rocking chair listening to two baby girls and their sleeping sounds. Wide awake, I had nothing else to do but wait for the first sounds of agitation when a pacifier was momentarily lost so I could slip it back into position and watch them settle back into whatever dreams they were having. As I rocked, listening to the recording of ocean waves coming from the speaker hanging on their crib, it dawned on me, it has been a long time since I had taken just a moment to observe, admire and enjoy what God created for me. Brother TJ’s question came back into my mind and I wonder, was TJ reminding me to enjoy the break and accept that if it wasn’t a waste of time for God, it would not be a waste of time for me either. The Psalmist wrote, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:8). The NASB says, “Cease striving” with a footnote that says literally “relax.” It is not always an easy thing to stop and look; slow down and enjoy; pause and appreciate. It seems there is always something to be done.

This morning, I encourage you to take a moment and follow the wisdom of the Psalmist, “Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man” (Psalms 66:5). “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name” (Psalms 100:3-4).

-jeff

October 6, 2024

Football season has begun again and while I do enjoy a good football game, I have trouble listening to broadcasters particularly when they use the word “physicality.” It actually is a word that has been around since the late 1500s according to the internet but out of the mouth of an overly dramatic and sensational broadcaster, it sounds totally made up to me. I don’t know which one started it, but now it is next to impossible to listen to a game and not hear the word. This morning though, I want to bring out my own word. It is a real word, apparently used as early as the 13th century and maybe one that can become as common, but less irritating, in our vernacular as the term previously mentioned. My word is “intentionality.” Intentionality has to do with “having an idea” or “the direction of attention in thought.” Just as physicality seems to be more than just being physical, intentionality must also be more than just being intentional. Physicality is not just having the skill set and ability to play the game, it is a way the game is played. It is a mindset, a conviction in how to play and the term is only used to describe elite individuals and teams. Intentionality is more than having intentions. You have probably heard the phrase, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but this phrase is only used as an excuse or when failure is imminent or complete. Intentionality is also a way of life. It is living a plan. No one wakes up in the morning planning to be unsuccessful. For example, we know we should read our Bible every day to become more familiar with God’s word and instruction for those who would follow him. We know there are great reading plans and even supplemental studies to go along with daily readings, but often we fall short of the scheduled reading. We meant to. We intended to, but didn’t. That is not intentionality. Intentionality is the implementation, prioritization and execution of a chosen course or direction in life. Intentionality is taking control of what you can control in life. It is proactive not reactive. Intentionality is disciplined, focused and constant. Here is another example, nobody plans on getting fat, but most of us wait until we are before doing anything about it. Nobody plans on being trapped in sin, but again, it is not until we get caught that we begin to make plans to get out of it and avoid it. When intentionality rules our lives, verses like 1 Peter 1:15-16, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY” and Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,” come to mind as do Philippians 2, Ephesians 4:29-32 and many others showing us how to live. Let’s make intentionality not just another catchy word, but a way of life.

-jeff

September 29, 2024

Romans chapter one begins with a rather long salutation wherein Paul, while introducing himself and explaining his purpose in life, uses the phrase in verse 5, “the obedience of faith.” Interestingly the same turn of phrase, “obedience of faith,” appears in the last sentence of his letter to the churches in Rome as well. The reader however may not make this connection unless he reads the entire letter at once or happens to take particular notice of either one of the phrases and does a little research on it! The latter is what happened to me. As I write though, I can’t help but recall, never once did I put down a letter from Jedidiah while he was in basic training until I’d read every last word, often going back through it to make sure I missed nothing and understood everything. I wonder if the churches read Paul’s letters a little at a time, or all the way through at once. Regardless, the phrase “obedience of faith” captured my thoughts and arrested my attention as I read the salutation last night. There are a number of religious people who seem to hang up on “saved by grace” almost implying works, or actions are not necessary, only belief. I suppose their position could be understandable as we read Jesus’ words to the Pharisees and Sadducees whose emphasis had turned more to the letter of the law than to the spirit of the law, often honoring God with their lips, but not their hearts (Matthew 15:8). The concept of grace only may even be plausible if we read only 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 as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” However, such a belief in grace only indicates a total misunderstanding of faith and requires the disregarding of several other scriptures like Ephesians 2:10, Romans 6:1-5, James 2:14-26 and even 1 John 1:5-9. All of these scriptures clearly demonstrate those who believe – do something; from the works we were created for, to walking in light and Paul lays it out simply with the phrase “obedience of faith.” If you believe, you will act. If you believe the parachute will open, you jump out of the plane. If you believe the boat will float, you push off from shore. If you believe you can walk on water, you have no problem getting out of the boat in the middle of the lake. The drag racer believes his car is the fastest so he puts his title on the line. No one with a doubt would do any of those things and yet there are many who profess a faith in God who simply don’t do what he says. They do not obey, prompting him to ask, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say” (Luke 6:46)? Maybe we all need to ask ourselves, “Do my actions demonstrate what I claim to believe?”

-jeff

September 22, 2024

Harmon Killebrew played 22 seasons in the major leagues for three different teams, mostly with the Minnesota Twins. When he retired, he had 573 home runs, currently twelfth in all time home run stats. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. In his induction speech, he recounted a time in his youth when he was playing ball in the front yard with his father and brothers. His mother came out and pointed out how they were tearing up the yard and leaving holes in the lawn. His father replied, “Yes, but we are not raising grass here, we are raising boys.” What a powerful statement about purpose and focus. Furthermore, we need to remember boys grow up to be men, who grow up to be husbands and fathers. They grow up to be leaders in their families, their communities and most importantly in the Lord’s church. It was God’s plan from the beginning that man should shoulder the burden of leadership, not lording over women in a sexist or misogynistic way, but with appreciation, admiration and respect for the “helpmeet” specifically created by God to complete him. Our boys will only grow up to be what we teach them to be, and not through our words, but through the actions that back up our words. They will learn their children are more important than their possessions when we put our boys first in front of our wealth. “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul” (Mark 8:36), or sons? Our boys will see the worth of and how to treat the women they love when they witness our relationships with our wives, mothers and sisters. “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29). They will learn to talk by listening to our words, be it “filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting,” or “songs hymns and spiritual songs” of thanksgiving, praise and encouragement. Our sons will learn sacrificial service in the church, not by watching other men serve, but by joining us in service to the Lord. As we raise our boys to be men, we should remember our God/god will be their God/god. God told Moses to tell the Israelites, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). It is so easy to get caught up in appearances and the blessings and wealth of this world, we lose sight of eternal goals. So let’s try harder and not worry about the grass.

-jeff

September 15, 2024

Being a grandfather of twin girls who live 4,181.31 miles away, getting a picture of one or both of them randomly throughout the day is pretty awesome. Yesterday’s picture was from their mother. It was a picture of Lucy in the arms of her uniformed father as they walked to the doctor’s office to take another look at her heart. Lucy has SVT. Those three initials mean her heart sometimes beats very, very fast. She is doing great and will hopefully grow out of it but they still have to go see the heart doctor periodically. As I looked at the picture of a father taking care of his daughter, I thought of the scripture in Luke 11, “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:11-13)? It made me think of just how far we will go to protect our children and get them what they need. It reminded me of how much our heavenly Father loves us and how far he is willing to carry us to get us what we need. After all, He sent His son to die for us.

We will do whatever is necessary to get our children what they need; physically, educationally, even professionally. We lobby coaches, pay for tutoring and private lessons. We drive countless miles to get them to practices, games and performances … it’s what parents do. We do what it takes to help them succeed, right down to our nightly prayers. Surely, we all pray for our children. But I am also reminded of James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” In other words, what real use is the prayer for our children if we fail to read and teach them the word of God, encourage them to be a part the body of Christ and tell them about the place Jesus prepared for us. It is Satan’s plan to trick us into thinking everything in the world must take precedence over talking about God in a purposeful and meaningful way. It is Satan’s plan to make us think it is ok to put God second, third or fourth. We take care of their physical hearts. Let’s make sure we don’t neglect their spiritual hearts too.

 -jeff

September 8, 2024

Maybe you have heard it said, the only thing certain in life is change. Sometimes, things just don’t turn out like we’d hoped. When life throws you a curve ball, what do you do? This is a baseball analogy and there are many who believe the curve ball is nearly impossible to hit because it is curving. From the “nearly impossible” to the “curving,” the belief is filled with misunderstanding. With the exception of when I am pitching, nearly every pitch is “curving” or moving in some way. Mine are flat, fat and go a long way off the bat! A real pitcher uses location and speed as much or more than the movement of the ball. Add to those factors an undecipherable randomness to his pitch selection and a hitter faces a formidable foe. So, when someone asks the question, “What do you do when life throws you a curveball?” The answer depends what kind of hitter you are. To begin with, there is an assumption that the curveball is a surprise. Very often, it is not. Furthermore, if the curveball is poorly thrown, it will likely be hit very hard. Sometimes, even when a curve is very well thrown, a disciplined hitter, will still hit it hard somewhere. A better question might be, “What do you do when you get a pitch you weren’t expecting?” Again though, a coach may ask, “Why weren’t you expecting it?” The best question is this, “What happens when you get fooled on a pitch?” Most likely, getting fooled on the pitch means you didn’t do your job, whatever it may have been; advancing the runner, getting on base, or not making the last out! To be clear, while talking about baseball, we are really talking about life and change. The Bible talks clearly about how we are to “hit” or live our lives. Repeatedly we are told, “Be alert” (1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Peter 1:13; 5:8). Satan is seeking to distract us and make us look bad. Furthermore, we are to be disciplined, growing and diligent in life (2 Peter 1:5-8, 10). We must learn how to deal with any situation and be content (Philippians 4:11-13), hitting well the pitches we are getting. We can get in trouble when we try doing more than we are able with the circumstance we are given, but will also get in trouble if we simply quit. The Parable of the Talents teaches this principle (Matthew 25:14-30). Finally, we can’t let the last pitch control how we handle the next pitch. A hitter won’t focus on the mistake, he’ll learn from it and step back in the box to hit again. Remember, a .300 hitter will likely make it into the Hall of Fame. A .300 average means he failed 7 out of 10 times. We serve a God who loves us when we are wrong (Romans 5:8), will never leave us because we strike out (Romans 8:38-39) and continually works through our failures as long as we keep swinging the bat (1 John 1:7).

-jeff

September 1, 2024

Congreve rockets were developed in the early 19th century by Sir William Congreve. They can best be described as bottle rockets on steroids. With sticks an inch and a half in diameter and sticks as long as 20 feet, these rockets were tipped with incendiary or anti-personnel warheads. They had the advantage of low recoil and psychologically they were terrifying in battle, exploding overhead loudly sending either flames or shrapnel everywhere. However, they were very inaccurate in distance, direction and timing. Heavily used in the war of 1812 by both the British and the new American military, they are the inspiration for the line “the rockets red glare” in the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry”. Fort McHenry located in Baltimore harbor was not just the last line of defense for Baltimore, it was very well the last line of defense for the fledgling United State of America. Washington had been burned by the British a month before and Baltimore fell, the loss of two major coastal cities would very likely hand Great Britain the victory. On September 13, 1814, the British began a 24-hour barrage of mortars and rockets upon the fort. As dawn broke on the 14th, it revealed Major George Armistead’s massive thirty by forty-two-foot American flag flying over the unconquered fort, showing to all, that Fort McHenry and the United States, had not fallen through the night and likely, would not fall any time soon. From a boat in the harbor, Francis Scott Key penned the poem, “Say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly, yeah, streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there!”

-jeff

August 25, 2024

Romans 12:1-2 is a familiar verse to most, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” In this verse Paul talks about change. The very nature of conversion is change and 1 Corinthians 6:11 demonstrates this as Paul writes to the church at Corinth telling them in verses nine and ten who won’t inherit the Kingdom of God, saying, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Ultimately, he says, “You were changed!” But change doesn’t come easy and it is often not because we don’t want to or need to; it just takes more effort to change, than it does to stay the same. Many times, our resistance or inability to change is not even a conscious choice, our brains are simply on autopilot. For instance, the other day I had loaded the truck for a trip to the dump and asked Jennifer if she would like to join me for the ride down. Arriving at the intersection where church is to the left and the dump is straight, I began to make a left. Jennifer said, “I thought we were going to the dump.” We were, but 99 times out of a hundred, when I get to that intersection and my wife is in the truck, we are on the way to church. My brain saved a lot of time and effort by simply executing the turn without my conscious approval or objection. To make the assumption change is as easy as speaking it and won’t be challenged is short sighted to say the least.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear outlines how to “change your habits and get 1% better every day.” He teaches readers how to build a habit in four steps. Let’s be honest, building habits is the essence of change. First, make the change obvious, then, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. The thing is, we cannot force change on anyone. In fact, when we attempt to force change, the result is always damaged relationships and then change/conversion becomes impossible. Conversion has to be self-motivated and desired. When we are attempting to lead others to Christ, or maybe just to more righteous living, understanding change is crucial. Furthermore, what could make the change more obvious than demonstrating the need for Christ in their lives by modeling His presence in ours? This is similar to the old farmer’s saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink!” Except in truth, how we lead may influence whether or not they drink.

-Jeff

August 18, 2024

Even though I am coaching archery at the high school, I am nowhere near an expert and do not own the equipment to work on stronger, more modern bows. So, after inspecting my nearly 15-year-old bow, I decided it was time for new string and cables. The modern compound bow is nothing like what the Indians in the western movies use. There are specialty add-ons designed to work together with the bow to make even a novice look good. However, my first shot with my new strings was twenty-two inches high! I couldn’t believe it. I began making adjustments to all the add-ons on my “professionally tuned” bow. I lowered, I raised, I twisted and tweaked. I even bent and modified as far as I could and still, I was shooting too high. After stepping back to wipe the sweat and frustration from my face, I notice something rather simple. My nock point was too low. The nock point on a bow is stationary and elementary to shooting. Even the simplest of bows has a nock point. In my shot sequence, it is the second step in a process designed to keep my shots consistent. With the nocking point a full quarter inch low, I am consistent – the problem is, nearly everything else about my bow is off. My form is necessarily changed and bad form unchecked, is injury waiting to happen. If I had just taken a step back, started with the basics and looked at the bow with a knocked arrow, the solution would have been obvious and easy. Instead, I am now hitting bullseyes by compensating with my aim point and shooting form on a bow with modified components. Similarly, this is what happens if and when we approach the Bible with a preset, predetermined or even hoped for result. We can tweak, omit and twist the word of God to say and mean what we want it to say and appear to hit the target dead center every time, but it will never last. I think of those religious people mentioned in Matthew 7:22 after being told they would not enter the kingdom of heaven, arguing their good works and deeds only to find out they’d missed the mark. Like the components of the modern compound bow, the inspired word of God was designed to fit together, not contradict itself. Our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), He cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13) and He never lies (Titus 1:2). Therefore, the word he inspired would be the same. Additionally, our Christian lives are to be similarly ordered. There is a pattern in God’s word as to how we are to live. It would be difficult to omit or refuse to change one part of our life and hope by “making up for it” somewhere else things would be ok. Instead of using the word of God to justify, we should be using it to sanctify, first ourselves and then those around us. Let’s resolve together to not hear the words uttered in Matthew 7:23!

-jeff

August 11, 2024

The first day of school is exciting for those who love school. There is always an abundance of fanfare as students and teachers arrive back from the too short summer break. This morning there were almost as many people welcoming students as there were students! There were fire trucks and police officers, aldermen and city councilmen. Everyone was smiling and taking pictures. The returning students knew just what to do as they exited their cars with fist bumps and smiles. Posing for pictures, hugging favorite teachers and talking of the summer’s adventures, they lugged their heavy backpacks full of supplies into school knowing exactly where they were going and what to expect when they got there. There were also the first timers. Their responses were a bit different. There was no familiarity, no one they recognized immediately. They had the same heavy back packs of supplies, but only an inkling of the location of their class- room, where a new teacher and new classmates awaited their arrival. While putting on brave faces, their apprehensions were obvious to those who were paying attention. Unfortunately, most of the “greeters” were oblivious. None were malicious or intentional in their oblivion, their job was to show support. Most were there for the first time; they were there to show support and welcome students. They didn’t know the returning students from the new ones and it was easy to get caught up in the moment. The result, a lot of good people standing around doing good things, but no one paying attention. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great morning and just behind the “dignitary greeters” stood a host of professional teachers and administrators looking for any student who might need the slightest of help, but it got me thinking of church. You know at church we are family. Every Sunday is often like the first day of school as we greet each other warmly (as with a holy kiss) and catch up on the week’s events. We may show pictures of grandbabies, or listen to health update from a family member or friend. We could be swapping stories about opening day at the ball park, the deer stand or even school. There is so much love in the church it easy to get caught up in the moment and miss someone who might need just a little extra attention, a little direction or simply acknowledgement. Let’s be intentionally on the lookout for those who often get over looked. Paul told the Philippians, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1-5).

-jeff

August 4, 2024

A battleship was on maneuvers when the weather turned bad and a heavy fog rolled in. As the ship plodded on, a light was spotted just off the starboard bow. Upon receiving the news, the ship’s captain asked if the light was steady or moving. “Steady” was the answer. Realizing they were on a collision course with the other ship, the captain ordered his lookout to signal the other ship and tell them to change course 20 degrees to avoid disaster. The battleship then received a return message advising they change course instead. A bit perturbed, the captain sent this message: “I am a captain. Change course 20 degrees immediately.” “I am a seaman second class, and you need to change course 20 degrees quickly” was the response. Outraged now, the captain signaled back, “I am in a battleship, seaman! You will change course now!” “Captain,” came the final reply, “I am in a lighthouse. Pilot your ship the way you see fit.” When I read this story I couldn’t help but laugh. How often are we misjudged because those who judge us can’t see all the facts? Whatever the answer, it is most likely equal to or nearly equal to the number of times we make a snap judgement about others. The first verse I thought of was Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” For the most part, especially among Christians, I’m convinced we do not intentionally look down on others, thereby placing ourselves in an elevated position. Unintentionally though, I think we may very often be guilty. A narcissist is one who thinks of self in an excessive way. While there are several other unflattering characteristics of narcissism, much of our lives in fact center around ourselves, indicating a little bit of narcissistic tendency in each of us. Think about it though before you categorically deny, how often you consider why another person may be acting in the way they act? Why does it upset you so when you perceive someone has done you wrong? Do you ever stop to consider, maybe it’s you who need to change direction and not them? “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3, 4).

-jeff

July 28, 2024

It was about 1 o’clock in the afternoon, we were waitingon lunch to get ready and Beau looked out the door of the church and said, “Dad, y’all come on, this guy is gonna need our help.” His name was Tony. His car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, just quit running right in front of the church building. We pushed him out of the busy California Avenue onto the side street beside the church building. After checking a couple things out, he told us it had done this once before, but after it sat for a while, it started right up. Tony said, “I’m just going to let it sit and try again in a little while.” One of the guys said, “Well great! You can come join us in the building for lunch.” He’d already eaten but sat with us through lunch. The boys talked about cars and life and eventually church and why there were so many people at the building on a Friday. When he tried to start the Jeep it fired right up and he left us. Saturday morning about 8:15 as we were eating breakfast, Tony came through the door with two pies from an extremely reputable local pie maker. He said, I just figured you guys might enjoy these and I wanted to say thank you for yesterday. I am taking my family to the beach today, but we will see you tomorrow morning at church. On Sunday morning’s the church at Wahiawa meets at 10 for class and 11 for worship. They then have a fellowship meal followed by an afternoon service at 2. Tony showed up at 9 AM Sunday morning and stayed with us until 1:40. He came back Monday night for the Gospel meeting at 6:30 and hung around talking with us and other members of the church until after 9:00 PM! He is coming back, and trying to bring his wife who cares for her mother in their home. Please pray for Tony as he continues to seek the truth. We start the morning in song, “Lead me to some soul today. Oh teach me Lord just what to say. Friends of mine are lost in sin and cannot find their way. Few there are who seem to care and few there are who pray. Melt my heart and fill my life, give me one soul today.” Many times, that soul is not behind a door we knock, but right out in the open. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

-jeff

July 21, 2024

There are only a few stories about Jonathan, the oldest son of King Saul, Israel’s first king. From those stories, the Bible draws a picture of a loyal and devoted friend whose faith in God is a faith we should strive to match. The first time we read of Jonathan is in 1 Samuel 13 when he smote a garrison of Philistines. You may be unfamiliar with the term smote but it means when the battle commenced, Jonathan and his men thoroughly and completely defeated the enemy leaving no doubt who was the more powerful. In southern speak it means, “he whooped ‘em a good un!” The response of the Philistines was to assemble 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and foot soldiers that numbered like the sands of the seashore to fight Israel. This was the climate in which 1 Samuel 14 begins close to the pass of Michmash with the Israelites on one side and the Philistines on the other. There seems to be a sort of stalemate as neither army wanted to advance on the others position. Tactically, each army held strong positions regardless of numbers. An attacking force would no doubt sustain great losses. Jonathan, maybe bored with waiting, decides to take his armor bearer and head on over and see what trouble he can cause for the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 14:6, he says to his companion, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” I am struck by his faith. The NASB says, “The Lord is not restrained to save …” God doesn’t need all Christians everywhere to stand for righteousness and truth (although that would be impressive) in order to be effective. He just needs one. Paul said it like this, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). Peer pressure that is ever present and attempts to fit in to societal norms are never ending. Social media bears witness to our need to fit in and be accepted as does our clothing, language and how we prioritize life. God used Jonathan to attack 20 Philistines at the top of a cliff and created a shift in momentum and changed the course of the fight – Israel won decidedly. Israel smote them again because of God. How will your world change if you decide righteousness and God’s word will be your guide and not the world? Don’t forget, “you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

-jeff

July 14, 2024

Keys in one hand, my Barlow pocket knife in the other, we just waited for certain death or daylight. It was the summer of ’93, Jennifer and I found ourselves somewhere off the Blue Ridge Parkway, newlyweds, lying in a pup tent in the back of an isolated campground. We’d arrived at the campground shortly before dark, hoping to find a spot only to find the campground mostly empty, probably due to the yellow bear warnings posted on nearly every tree and both ends of every picnic table. It was too late to go anywhere else so we picked a spot and made camp. Following the guidelines, we placed all food items inside the single cab truck along with all our luggage before turning in to sleep under the stars – with the bears. It was about midnight when a breeze began to pick up and we could hear distant thunder and see the faint flashes of light from the phenomenon causing the low rumble. Within the hour, breeze became what seemed like hurricane force winds as the trees bowed first one direction, then another. The distant thunder and faint flashes of light were now explosions of blinding light and earsplitting booms as the storm seemed to have chosen the campsite right next to ours to spend the night. I love a good thunderstorm, I always have, but as I lay there staring at the top of our boy scout tent, I couldn’t help but marvel at the way the shadows of bending trees took on every appearance of the  outstretched claws and gaping, sharp toothed mouth of a ram paging bear about to rip our tent to shreds and consume a tasty midnight meal. The quickness and ferocity of the storm, coupled with a total lack of preparedness allowed my mind to run rampant. Uncontrolled fears and negative outcomes from not being able to save my wife from a bear to being crushed by falling trees dominated my thoughts and the interpretations of my senses. While summer storms are somewhat predictable for those paying attention, the storms of life often come upon us with similar speed and ferocity. One minute all is well, the next, the world is coming apart at the seams – and Satan often seizes the opportunity. He uses our perceptions, fears and momentary confusions to sow seeds of doubt, dissension and disparagement; anything to keep us from returning our focus to the cross. He’ll do anything to keep us from going to God who has the power to calm the storm (Mat thew 8:27) and promises a better place to those who per severe to the end (Revelation 2:10). Be focused. Be intentional. Be prepared.

 -jeff

July 7, 2024

In a sense, he was minding his own business as he travelled along with his companions. In many ways, it was just a job and he was good at it. It wasn’t an easy job but it had to be done and he was good because he was passionate about it being done completely and thoroughly. Trained at the highest levels by the best teachers, endorsed by all the right  peo ple, he was convinced the job was necessary. He was positive he was in the right; certain he couldn’t be wrong. How could he be? After all, God was on his side because every thing he did, he did for God. His job was to punish those who spoke out against the truth, blasphemers who claimed things were different now. They claimed the old ways were gone because the Messiah had come. Ludicrous. They had to be silenced, punished – if necessary, killed. They were messing everything up, confusing good people and their following was increasing. Dragging people from their homes and jobs was not for the faint of heart, but it had to be done before more of God’s chosen people were drawn away from the truth. He was in the right. How could he not be? After Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus, Saul sat in silent darkness for three days waiting on word from God. For three days, he must have examined his life’s worth. Everything he’d trained for, everything he believed, everything he’d done came unwound. While he thought he was ok, he’d been totally wrong. Oh, he could see it now. He’d studied all this! Yet somehow, he’d listened to the wrong people, the priests – even the high priest all agreed what he was doing was ok and had God’s blessing. But he was wrong and God himself had called him out – by name; placing the blame squarely on his shoulders. Now he was blind, waiting, but God was not done with him. That is good news.

If a man of Saul’s immense training, knowledge, resources and opportunity could be hoodwinked by Satan to damage and persecute the Lord’s church, how easy would it be for Satan to make one of us believe God is pleased with us and our Christian-walk just because we are comfortable in it? I mean hey, none of us are perfect but at least we are not as bad as _______________or like _______________, right? The truth is we will not be compared to other churches or other Christians. We will stand before God on our own merits (John 12:48; Matthew 12:36-37).

Marshall Keeble once said in a sermon, “The Bible teaches us to confess Christ not to profess religion.” This confession comes not just from our mouths but in the actions of our lives. It is not what goes in the body that defiles it, but what comes out, because what comes out comes from the heart (Matthew 15:16-19). One thing is for sure, the next time we see the light Saul saw, no one is going to have a few days to think about it!

 --jeff

June 30, 2024

IBM.com says, “Artificial intelligence, or AI, is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.” Basically, artificial intelligence is the process of taking vast amounts of information, analyzing it and looking for patterns and data correlations and then using the correlations and patterns to predict an outcome. Artificial Intelligence is the driving force behind self-driving cars (pardon the pun) and allows computers to play games like chess making decisions based on the moves of an opponent. In truth, AI is found in many aspects of our lives today. Siri and Alexa are both examples of AI as well as predictive texting, auto correct and the facial recognition feature that keeps a stranger from accessing your phone. When it comes to basic functions, often times, the computer does it faster, better and with less mistakes. Walmart has figured out, artificial intelligence complains less, rarely shows up late or calls in sick, requires zero health benefits and never asks for a raise! Baseball and other sports will soon have no need for umpires and referees as the computer can instantly call balls and strikes and review every play in mere milliseconds then broadcast the perfect call on the jumbotron for both athletes and fans! There are a myriad of ways AI has changed and can change our lives but there is a scary side too. If you are a fan of spy novels and movies, you have certainly seen what can happen when AI gets to be so advanced it realizes humanity is the weak link and then attempts to save earth and preserve itself by eliminating humankind. One of the biggest problems with AI is bias. Ultimately, bias is a little word for prejudice. Any computer is only as good as the information put into it and the computer works on the assumption the information is true. If the information or data is biased, the interpretation of the data will be too. There is so much more to be said both for and against AI, but for now just ask this question: Is artificial intelligence capable of loving someone? The answer is no. Sure, you could write a program telling a robot to sacrifice itself for its owner, but that would not be its choice unless programmed to do so. Therefore, Jesus’ words in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends,” could never apply to artificial intelligence. A program could be written to sacrifice self and save the owner, but it would be nothing more than a program. It would never have the driving force of sacrificial love behind it and an owner would never know if the computer was just doing what it was told or if its existence was terminated out of love. So, when someone asks you why wouldn’t an all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving God create us in such a fashion where we would not sin, you can ask them, “How much do you know about AI?”

--jeff

June 23, 2024

Twenty-seven miles southeast of Searcy, Arkansas, lies Lake Des Arc. With classes done for the day, Perry, Darren and myself borrowed a boat and trolling motor and left campus to finish the summer day catching fish. I do not recall the fish we caught, although I am sure it was few. At first, we welcomed the cooling shadow of the storm to our south and hoped it would pass us by. But it didn’t. It headed straight for the lake. The closer it got, the more violent it became. At 280 acres, Lake Des Arc is not a huge lake, but after running the trolling motor for a couple hours, the truck was right at - still a long way away. We had about half the lake to go when the first sound waves from thunder vibrated the boat. As if on cue, the winds picked up blowing in our face as we reeled in line and hunkered down to reduce wind drag. Hunkering down was not enough because the battery was totally dead. As Perry spoke the obvious, several things happened simultaneously. A flash of light accompanied an ear splitting, boat rattling crash of thunder and two paddles hit the water with enough force to cause a small rooster tail to erupt behind the 14-foot flat bottom boat and throw Perry backward into the boat. Unfortunately, there were no other witnesses to the superhuman feat of oarsmanship we displayed that afternoon. We hit the bank with such force almost half the boat rode onto the bank allowing for an easy and quick disembarkation as we sprinted the last quarter mile to the truck leaving the boat and our gear behind. The storm only lasted twenty minutes or so, but the wind and lightening had been fierce. As small as it is the middle of Lake Des Arc was no place for boaters in a storm!

The Sea of Galilee is 150 times larger than Lake Des Arc and while their boat was likely at least twice as long, twice as wide and many times as heavy, Jesus and His disciples found themselves in a far worse predicament. Their boat was also powered by wind and not at all easily paddled. With its sides likely as high as four feet and waves already filling the boat, their peril was greater - and it was night time. None the less, we’d gained a much newer perspective of and respect for the kind of fear Jesus’ disciples experienced. One more thing. Jesus was not in our boat, but truthfully, I am pretty sure we’d have still paddled hard for shore. The thing is, Jesus tells us not to fear those things that destroy the body, but fear those things that destroy the soul (Matthew 10:28). I’m not saying we must throw caution to the wind, and I don’t think Jesus was either. But we must cultivate a healthier respect for sin and the catastrophic effects it has on our lives. Is Jesus really riding in your boat?

--jeff

June 16, 2024

Remember, he is not the enemy; she is not the enemy; you are not the enemy; I am not the enemy.
Satan is the great deceiver and HE IS THE ENEMY!

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

--jeff

June 9, 2024

Costumes and disguises share the same purpose, to hide one’s true identity. Costumes, however tend to be rather flamboyant and extravagant, where as a disguise is cleverly made to draw as little attention as possible. While no one may recognize the person in an inflatable dinosaur suit, certainly attention will be drawn their way. On the other hand, a disguise is intended to blend in, never draw attention and basically make it to where one can hide in relatively plain sight simply by not standing out. But to truly make the disguise work, one must become the disguise. Often it is not the lack of disguise or one poorly put together that reveals our true identity, but our own persona; the way we walk or little habits we have we are often not aware of. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, no matter how good the disguise, it would be easy to see folks for who they were by their fruits. Specifically, Jesus was taking about false prophets. People who came claiming divine authority but in the end were only self-serving. Jesus said beware, but you can know who to trust by the what they produce. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Essentially, the fruits we bear or show, could be described as the product or result of our presence. While the fruit of the Spirit are often taken for granted rather than taken notice of, on the other hand, their absence is always noticed. Hate, depression, dissention, contrariness, meanness, wickedness, disloyalty and emotional outbursts are all sure to draw negative comments. Fruits NOT of the Spirit are easy to spot, gaining almost immediate and constant attention, raising the angst of nearly everyone around and should call into question the claims of righteousness and Christianity of the purveyors of such bitterness, sourness and rottenness. This is likely why Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of the Father in heaven will enter.” So maybe for just a moment we pause to take a look at the “fruit” in our wake. Maybe we stop just a minute and examine the reputation we hold. Certainly, if we can see the fallacy in the lives of others, we can see the short comings in our own lives – if we take an honest look. Answer these questions honestly about your life. By my closest friends, am I considered loving? Am I seen as content, secure and happy? Do I create problems or solve problems? Am I patient? Am I approachable and kind? Most consider themselves to be “good people,” but what do others think of you? Are you a loyal friend? Are you brash and tactless as you tell the truth? Are you prone to outburst? If you answer yes, or even maybe, to any of these, don’t get down and depressed, just fix it. Make your identity what you want it to be.

--jeff

June 2, 2024

I remember someone telling me one time, “The guilty dog barks loudest.” I am not sure who said it first or what the situation was in which it was said, but I have continued to hear it occasionally through the years. I am not sure what the psychology is, but in my observations, I have found the one who talks the most, seems to have the most to hide. Furthermore, the more they talk, the more guilty they appear. Often, if nothing else, they becoming guilty of the accusations they passive aggressively wield. For instance, when one utters the phrase, “Don’t judge me!”; haven’t they already made some assumptions? First of all, they have been judged and secondly, in a negative light. Maybe they are right, and maybe they are totally clueless but one thing is for sure, the more they go on, the more guilty they look as they wade deeper and deeper into assumptions and judgements of their own. At some point they will certainly cry hypocrisy, and yet have become hypocritical themselves. It reminds me of another old phrase I used to hear as I tattled on siblings for getting into the cookies while swallowing one myself, “Well, if that ain’t the pot calling the kettle black.” Let’s face it, it stinks to be accused, especially falsely; been there and received that, but how we handle accusation says a lot about us as Christians. First of all, if you are guilty, well, your busted and you have a couple choices. You can be like David when Nathan outed him for his affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband and truly repent (2 Samuel 11-12). You could be like Herod the Tetrarch in John 14, throwing your accusers under the bus and refuse to change or stop embracing your sin. Finally, you could respond like Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5 and simply lie and deny to the bitter end! But what about when you are falsely accused? How does one respond to false accusation? I could give you some personal examples and experiences where my words and actions seemed only to validate my accusers’ claims. The best example of how to respond is that of Jesus. Having tried it my way, I can tell you his approach is better – and proven. When falsely accused, Jesus was silent. Jesus said, “There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2). In other words, the truth will come out. Accused of blasphemy, he hung on the cross but three days later – the truth came out. Even when they tried to hide it, the truth was obvious. Jesus let his actions speak louder than words. He was not passive aggressive. He was not insulting or disrespectful to his accusers. He just remained faithful and true. Peter encourages with these words, “Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16)

                                                                                         . -jeff

May 26, 2024

In 1837, Hans Christian Anderson penned a story fairytale familiar to most of us as “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. In his story, a couple of shady characters enter the hometown of the emperor and convince him they are master weavers of a cloth that is only seen by those worthy of holding their office. To be sure, it is the finest cloth ever made. To say the emperor loved clothes is an understatement and the only thing he loved more than his wardrobe was to be seen by his subjects showing off his fancy threads. As a result of his vanity, he commissioned the shysters to design him a new outfit out of this most luxurious and exquisite fabric. After extorting copious fees they finally presented the emperor with his new coordinated ensemble which of course was absolutely nothing. Keep in mind, this story only makes sense if you remember how the con artists set the stage for their elaborate ruse; this clothe can only be seen by those worthy of holding their office or title. Hence, everyone who was sent to check on the progress of the suit of clothes and even the emperor himself refused to admit they could not see the clothe for fear of being deemed not worthy of their position. Even as he paraded his naked body in front of his subjects and a young, innocent child whispered, “He’s naked!” the king refused to admit his foolishness and continued to show off his new “attire”. Anderson makes us smile as we visualize the foolishness. No one in their right mind would act so foolishly and yet Satan is the great deceiver and constantly makes similar promises. Starting in the garden with Eve and continuing throughout history. He continually plays on our need to be accepted and our inability to be satisfied with His acceptance and approval. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus about a set of clothes to protect us from Satan in Ephesians 6. This outfit includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. Like the emperor’s new clothes, these articles are invisible to the naked eye and therefore we can claim to be dressed in the armor of God when in reality no attempt was ever made to even try them on. Despite often extensive means to keep reality hidden, Jesus said to his disciples, “They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another” (John 13:35). Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11) and no innocent bystander will be able to say, “Hey look! He’s naked!”

-jeff

May 19, 2024

Last week I was introduced to the poet Douglas Malloch. He was born on May 5, 1877 in Muskegon, Michigan; timber country. Having a way with words, by the time he was 10 he had published his first poem. While growing up in and around the timber industry, eventually becoming known as the lumberman’s poet, he worked delivering papers and after he left school, he worked as a reporter and writer for the Muskegon Chronicle – the very same newspaper he delivered as a boy. Growing up around logging camps, saw mills and lumber yards, he often wrote for trade papers and magazines such as the American Lumberman. He was very much acquainted with the dangerous and often deadly mishaps that occurred in the industry and acutely aware, the industry was drastically changing. Still, Malloch was an incredibly optimistic man. One newspaper described him as the world’s most optimistic man and another said he had the philosophy of sunshine. The poem I was given is entitled, “You Have to Believe in Happiness” and it goes like this: 

You have to believe in happiness

Or happiness never comes.

I know that the bird chirps none the less,

When all that he finds is crumbs.

You have to believe that winds will blow,

Believe in the grass, the days of snow,

Ah, that’s the reason the bird can sing:

On his darkest day he believes in Spring.

You have to believe in happiness,

It isn’t an outward thing;

The Spring never makes the song, I guess,

As much as the song makes the Spring.

Aye, man’s heart could find content,

If it saw the joy on the road it went,

The joy ahead when it had to grieve,

For the joy is there - but you have to believe.

The fact is, happiness is really a choice – especially for the Christian. Paul tells us nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39) and Jesus told us not to be troubled, he was going to prepare a place and would be coming back to take us there (John 14:6). We are encouraged to remain faithful to the end where a crown of righteousness is waiting (Revelation 2:10) and nothing on earth can take these promises from us. We should be abounding in happiness because of the hope within us. Happiness should spill from every word and every action because, as Christians, we are heirs to the promise (Galatians 3:29). Resolve to focus on the eternal and not the temporary. Choose and believe in happiness letting the word of Christ richly dwell within you (Colossians 3:16).

                                                                                              --jeff

May 12, 2024

Most of you know, I enjoy setting a few traps now and then to catch some of our local fur bearers. While there are specific seasons for trapping, there are some species open for trapping year-round. Beavers, coyotes, striped skunks and raccoons all fall into the year-round category. Almost everything else must be turned loose if they happen to fall victim to one of my sets. All traps fall into two categories, restraining traps and killing traps. Restraining traps hold their quarry until the trapper comes to check his traps. This comes in handy when non-targeted species are caught. The trapper can just let them go, no harm – no foul. Kill traps on the other hand, do exactly what they say. They kill. I have had animals escape my leg holds, one beaver even swam off with a poorly anchored leg hold trap, but kill traps are legit and mostly, perform as advertised. No trap is perfect and all can malfunction causing undue stress, pain and even death to the animals caught in them, but let’s be honest, while being humane is a primary concern, harvesting the animal is the reason traps are set. There are methods of trapping using a wide variety of techniques all designed to entice targeted species or capitalize on habitual behaviors. Just like in real estate, the key to success is location, location, location. Maybe that is why Satan is always moving around, scouting and reading the sign (1 Peter 5:8, Job 1:6); to make his traps more successful and to ensure he is not wasting his time trapping in the wrong space. James, while discussing sin and it’s effects, uses language similar to the terms we use in trapping, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14). I become a better trapper when I know my quarry. If I learn his habits, I can then use them against him taking advantage of the complacency of normality or placing my enticements close to most frequent haunts. Satan is no different. His objective is the souls of man. Even after escaping his traps, we are left marked, maimed or mutilated and he is not concerned with being humane. Knowing we are being targeted by a master trapper give us an advantage in avoiding his snare. A trap works best on the unsuspecting, but we know he is out there. We are told repeatedly to be on alert (Acts 20:29-31, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6) and we know Satan to be a liar and skilled deceiver. Furthermore, Job was not considered by Satan because of his righteousness, so let us all strive for holiness and purity, seeking first the kingdom of God and donning the whole armor of God so we may stand firm against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

-jeff

May 5, 2024

The CHS archery team recently qualified nationals in Louisville, Ky. In an effort to raise funds for the trip, we conducted an online t-shirt sales event and many of our followers, supporters and “wanna be” shooters will soon be sporting authentic CHS archery apparel! The thing is, buying the shirt doesn’t make me part of the team and wearing the shirt doesn’t make me an archer. Only shooting arrows will make an archer. The more I shoot the better I will get. One thing I am certain of, only shooting one day a week is better than not shooting at all, but it will be difficult, if not impossible, to become a strong shooter. Everyone understands this concept and would not argue with it until we begin to make spiritual application. Then for some reason, the arguments, excuses and exceptions and justifications begin. Galatians 3:27 says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Baptism is not just a T-shirt we wear on Sundays or pull out for special occasions. Jesus warns in Matthew 6 about practicing righteousness before men to be noticed by them (just wearing the T-shirt). Obedience to the Gospel is not something we do; Christianity is something we are – to the very core of our being. Romans 6:4 describes a death, burial and resurrection. Explicitly Romans 6:1-6 says we die to an old way of life to walk in “newness of life.” “How can we die to something and still live in it?” Paul reminds the church on Corinth after listing sinful actions that will keep people out of heaven, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). The blood of Christ is powerful, cleansing the most heinous lives, but grace, while not earned, is not free either. Anyone can wear the shirt. Anyone. Matthew 7:15 tells us, “Beware of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing.” They come wearing the shirt! They come looking like everyone else, but they are not serious. Jesus also tells us that while they may fool us for a moment, we will be able to tell who’s who by looking at the fruit of their lives – not just what they do and how they look on Sundays. Maybe you are old enough to remember the souvenir T-shirts of the late 70s and early 80s that read, “My grandma went to ________, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt!” What a sad testament to our faith when our children, our friends and those visitors truly searching for the truth walk away from the Lord saying, “I went to the church for love, healing, change and acceptance but all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” Let’s resolve to put on Christ and never take him off.

-jeff