Sliding back in faith

Let’s not beat around the bush . . . it’s difficult to be a follower of Jesus.
In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me – follows me – accepts me as Savior – he MUST (1) deny himself; (2) take up his cross; and (3) follow me."

These are the characteristics of a Jesus follower. There is no wiggle room, compromise or rationalization:

1. The believer must deny himself. That means I pray for God's plans for me and not my plans for me. What does God want for me? Where does God need me? 
2. The believer's life must take up a cross: It must produce other believers and as I talk to people about Jesus those conversations will cost me something. Sharing Jesus is often inconvenient, emotionally draining, expensive and leads us out of comfort zones. As it cost Jesus to die on the cross we must expect following Him will cost us something, too.
3. The believer's life is about serving others. It is about following Jesus' example to serve others above self.

It’s easy to see why many, many people won’t follow Jesus. They completely rebel against God's desire to be at the center of their lives through faith in Jesus. But, these good people can't admit they won't follow Jesus. No, they lie about it or rationalize it. Or, they divert conversations to church rather than Jesus. Or, they equate good, moral behavior with being Christian. It's funny how people work so hard to say the right things when they don't mean them.

Ultimately, all followers of Jesus have one thing in common: They build relationships with people, talk about Jesus within those relationships, and introduce people to Jesus so that some may follow Him. If my life fails to produce other believers it's really impossible to say that I am following Jesus.

Following Jesus produces what I call "mountain top" experiences for the believer.
When I am living close to Jesus and God's plan to make disciples through me, I see God at work around me. I see prayers answered and know it's the Lord's work. I wake up in the middle of the night, sensing that God wants me to pray, or study Scripture, or just be quiet and think about Him. I feel the nudging of God to do something or say something. I am convicted of bad attitudes, bad behavior and bad words. When I have any or all of these experiences, really feeling God's presence, there's a euphoria - a spiritual ecstasy. Spiritual ecstasy is defined this way: A state of consciousness characterized by expanded spiritual awareness, visions or absolute euphoria.

Yep, that's what it is like. For me, that euphoria is just being consumed with Jesus - not for my sake, but to be a missionary to others.

But, it's hard to stay on the mountaintop. It's really hard.

I try to eat well. I eat oatmeal every day for breakfast. I eat at least one salad as a meal each day. I lean more toward chicken than beef. I watch sugar very closely. And, when I'm eating well, I feel great - especially when I'm exercising, too.

And, then one of the boys will make brownies. And, I've never met a bad brownie. Brownies call my name, "Scott, Scott . . . here we are . . . eat all of us . . . with ice cream . . . and chocolate syrup."

And, I say, "I'll get back to the oatmeal and salads tomorrow. Today, I'm eating these dang brownies!"

You and live in a sinful world governed by human nature. Human nature is always going to defer to selfishness and sinfulness. We are surrounded by it in our relationships, media messages, and generations of "me first, me first" thinking. Human nature - sinful to the core - is always pulling us down from the mountaintop. Human nature is diabolically in opposition to following Jesus. Following Jesus is contradictory to human nature, and the pull off the mountain is hard. In the costliness of following Jesus, we get lonely, we get discouraged, we get tired, we get bored, and we worry about how relationships will change when Jesus is inserted in them.

We slide backward. We say things like, "Everyone else is living like they want to live and I'm falling behind" or "I need to stay in the group" or "Everyone is going to feel like I'm judging them." We stop praying. We stop studying Scripture. We stop being around other believers. We go through the motions of church attendance, but the joy and peace from the mountaintop just isn't there anymore. And, Jesus says, "Hey, where did you go?" We hide from Him.

I slide back all the time. So do you. We all do. That's not to justify it or to help you find misery in company. It's just to say, we all slide back. The people of God, in the Old Testament, might as well have been on a roller coaster with God. Look at David, he was up and down, up and down, up and down with God.

But, here's the dealt: Followers of Jesus are convicted by the Holy Spirit to turn away from sin and back to Jesus. Followers of Jesus ache at being off the mountain and crave to be back there. Followers of Jesus repent.

All of this high and low, creates a legitimate question: Can a true Christian slide back?
Absolutely. Sliding back is a regression into a spiritual dullness or lack of obedience. But, sliding back will always bring discipline from God in the same way a parent disciplines a child for being disobedient. Hebrews 12:5-11 says we can be encouraged by God's discipline as a reminder that we are His and He love us. Scripture doesn't spell out how God's discipline applies, but the punishment fits the crime and we never consider it unfair. We know we've done wrong, we see the punishment, and we think, "Yep, I deserved that." Thank goodness for God's correction because it reminds us that we are His!

In the life of Scott Vaughan, discipline usually comes in the form of God's hands being removed from me. That's a human interpretation of how I feel. I slide into the valley of "me" and begin to orchestrate my life according to my own will. I can sense God removing his hands and saying, "You want to be in charge? Have at it." There's a unmistakable cloud that comes, bringing an absence of joy and peace. My life feels out of tune. It's a blindness. Most times, I fall into prayerful repentance like a little boy who has been caught breaking a window in an old barn. (Yep, that happened). But, sometimes, I rebel further and then bad attitudes lead to bad decisions, which begin affecting relationships. Hard-heartedness is just around the corner. Somewhere in there, I will hurt someone I love and the shame of it all drives me into repentance, and hopefully (as I cry out to Jesus) to another mountaintop experience.

My spiritual goal is to narrow the gap between mountain top experiences from year to year. I like to say that I'm a "two steps forward and one step backward" believer who finds joy in gaining one step each year.

Want to read a hopeful story of sliding back and redemption? Read the story of Samson in Judges 13-16. Then, look over at Hebrews 11:32. For all his ups and downs in faith, Samson was ultimately listed with the great men of God.

Here are some practices that will help you and me from sliding back with regularity:

1. Examine your faith life regularly. 2 Corinthians 13:5
2. If you find yourself drifting, turn back to faith immediately. Call a believer. Hebrews 3:12-13.
3. Come to God daily for forgiveness and cleansing. 1 John 1:9 . . . Begin your day with prayer. Prayer before you get out of bed and surrender the complete day to the Lord's work through your life.
4. Come daily seeking the Lord with your whole heart. 1 Chronicles 28:9
5. Stay in Scripture. Keep studying and learning daily. Proverbs 4:13.
6. Stay close to other believers. Hebrews 10:25 . . . Lean into other believers for guidance, encouragement and correction. Have 2-3 believers you can talk to about the deep issues of faith. These are not casual friends, but those who use the name of Jesus.
7. Stand firm in faith. Expect difficult times. Matthew 10:22.
8. Persevere. 1 Timothy 4:15-17.
9. Run the race to win it. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25.
10. Remind yourself of what God has done for you in the past. Hebrews 10:32, 35-39.

New Year's Resolutions

Successful New Year's Resolutions always involve two things: Passion and Accountability. You have to want to do something, and you have to have someone or something that wags a finger in your direction when you lose sight of your goal. It also helps if you can brag a little through social media . . . “Hey, look at me, I accomplished this . . .” Of course, there’s risk with going public . . .especially if you backslide. The person whose says, “Hey, I lost 30 pounds” on social media looks foolish when they gain back 50.

My mother’s mom was a Middle School teacher for 36 years. To keep her mind sharp, she resolved to do two things: She kept a daily journal of the day’s weather and important sports’ scores – like the daily Braves' score. She also worked a daily crossword puzzle. She also quit smoking. She lived to be 92. She left us with more than 500 small wire bound, steno notebooks. In early August 1998, at 87, she wrote of one day, “Hot.” The next day, she wrote, “Still very hot.” The next day, she wrote, “Hot as hell.”

While I respected and respect in memorial my grandmother's resolutions, her approach was short-sighted and not a Biblical approach to life management or what I call "life stewardship." You see, the best resolutions for us - as believers - are those that help us live longer and live better, maximizing our opportunities for sharing the gospel and making disciples. If I lose weight just for me, well, that's sinful. But, if I lose weight as part of a strategy to improve my quality of life to better serve others, well, that's using Resolutions as part of spiritual growth.

The Bible does not promote or denounce our little habit of New Year’s Resolutions. To the Lord, there’s no difference in Dec. 31 or Jan. 1. But, Scripture does promote taking care of ourselves while we are on this Earth. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 : Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to  yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

The No. 1 resolution every year is to lose weight or get in physical shape. The reason most people is because they do it for themselves rather than as preparation of themselves to serve others. Also, people want quick results with minimal effort. That never happens.

Since the 8th grade, when I was a chubby-cheeked teenager, I've battled a weight problem. I love to cook, I love to eat my cooking. I also love ice cream. In 2011, I went to the doctor for a routine office visit and my blood pressure was surprisingly high. So high, in fact, that my doctor put me on blood pressure medicine - a pretty high dosage. My youngest brother, whose is also overweight, has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In December 2013, weighing the most I've ever weighed and eye-balling another increased waist size, I bemoaned my physical condition. My oldest son said, "Dad, if you don't do anything to change, you are just going to get heavier and probably die sooner. You think that's what God wants from you?"

As a believer, I'm not afraid of death, but I am afraid of not finishing well. I want to finish this life well. So, in January 2013, I resolved to eat better and exercise daily, starting with just a 20-minute daily walk around the neighborhood. Quickly, it became something I wanted to do. I joined a gym with an accountability partner. I bought a $5 annual membership to the church gym for the days I didn't go to the more formal gym. On my walks, I learned that I could worship while walking. I listened to faith music, listened to sermons and prayed as I walked 20, 30, 40, and then 60 minutes a day.

In July, I went for my annual physical. I was a little bummed at the scale weight - I had expected to lose more weight. But, my doctor showed me the more important numbers like cholesterol and blood sugar and heart rate. All of those were the best they had been in 22 years. No kidding. My cholesterol fell through the floor. He told me what my gym partner had been telling me - don't be consumed by the scale. Be consumed by new energy and better blood / sugar numbers.

In the past two years, Vicki and I have been faced with dementia. We have walked this journey with Vicki's mama. In 2012, I was convicted about spending far too much time in front of the television and computer screens, and not enough time reading and learning. The best way to keep your body in shape is to exercise it; the best way to keep your mind in shape is to exercise. And, so, I resolved to read 25 books per year and 200 by 2019 - when I turn 60. I read at bedtime and have found no problem in reading 25 books per year.

I go to bed at 10 p.m. and I read at least one chapter or up to 30 minutes. Going to bed earlier, I've found I get up earlier - usually wake up without an alarm clock by 5:30 or 6. There's something to that "early to bed and early to rise" maxim because I do feel better all the way around. As for accountability, well, Vicki's an avid reader and we talk about the books we read.

Again, and I stress this, taking care of yourself is about being in "shape" for ministry - not to brag on Facebook, impress people at the beach, or impress the person in the mirror. In fact, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Godliness is the end goal of all resolutions to improve self. Anything else is likely to fail.

Closing thoughts:

• Make sure your motivation to improve self is for Kingdom service.
• Read Scripture and Pray about how God can use you.
• Don't be discouraged if you slip while on the road to improving your self. Don't use slipping as an excuse, but as motivation to get back on track.
• Expect God to use you. He will. He can. God can use you where you aren't capable of serving alone. In that, life becomes a real adventure!

Pleasing People v Pleasing Jesus

By Monty Hope -- Piles of financial data, spreadsheets built with cunning insight, sales reports loaded with client information, detailed cost reports showing where the money was going………these were the heart of six, super-duper, financial reports I spent an entire weekend constructing.  Each report was sent to my boss, our CFO, and the General Manager of the area studied.  Each was concise and contained detailed action plans for improvement.  As I went to bed Sunday night after emailing the last of the reports, a smug grin emerged across my face.  I drifted to sleep sure of the at-a-boy emails I would receive on Monday.

Monday came and went; no emails, no calls.  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday passed with no acknowledgement of the work that surely could have earned a Nobel Prize in economics.  I made my way home for the weekend questioning the value of the sweat I put into those reports.  By Monday the disillusionment had worn off, but God waited until Wednesday to teach me a lesson.  As I opened my “Stand Firm” devotional on June 5, 2013, the title of the lesson read, “Seeking the Approval of Others.”  There is always a “Bottom Line” in this devotional.  It read, “Pursuing the fleeting, conditional recognition of others is like running in the wrong direction.  It takes us further away from God, never closer.”  While I did emit a slight chuckle at God’s sense of humor, it was done so through a shroud of shame.

In John 5:38-47, Jesus addresses the danger of seeking praise from others.  In his words to the Jewish leaders, “I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.  I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.  How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

Here is the crux of the issue.  There is no sin or harm in pleasing others.  In fact, obedience taken to the max should be pleasing.  The harm and the sin occur when we please other so that we can receive the praise.  Pride is truly at the root of all sin and you can see its interface here.  Let us follow the advice of Paul in Colossians 3:22-25 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Go ahead.  Work hard so that others may be pleased.  Work hard so that Jesus will be glorified through you.  Take great comfort knowing Jesus has granted us all the reward we will ever need.  We have eternal life through Him.  What more could we ask?

The fences that we build

When we moved into our home in 1991, we inherited an old metal shed building. Electricity had once run to the shed, but it was now disconnected. The exterior metal was rusting; one of the sliding doors was bent and required careful maneuvering to close.

Never one to sacrifice functionality for aesthetics, the shed looked terrible but it was still functional. So, we filled ‘er up and kept on living forward.

A few years later, more storage was required for tools and baseball gear, and so I built a small open-air shed beside the older metal shed. We called this structure “the barn” and it was equally as unattractive as the shed. But, for 20 years, it kept everything dry that we placed under it. Functional.

This past fall, a tree limb fell on the old metal shed, puncturing a hole in the back corner. Rain poured in and ruined some of our stuff – mostly old school  yearbooks, fortunately. The roof was not able to be repaired, and so a new storage plan was required.

Over the winter months, down came the old shed. Then, down came the old barn. Replacing both was a new, more modern shed – with windows. The Addams Family gets fancy.

But, as I stared at the nice new shed, I noticed a problem. Where the old metal shed had stood was going to require some serious yard work. That corner of the yard had grown up underneath an old and very large cedar tree. And, salvaging the 2x6 and 2x4 boards from the old barn, I now had a small lumber yard where the old metal shed had stood. 

I decided the best short-term solution was a nice 20-foot picket fence to hide that part of the yard and visually connect to the new shed as well. So, I built the fence.

Then, I stepped back on Memorial Day weekend and said, "It is good." Seriously, what I really said: “Wow, when you build a fence in front of something that looks bad, well, people see the fence instead of what’s behind it.” It's an illusion. 

I have always been a great fence-builder. God gifted me one very peculiar way. I have a natural eye for “level” and “symmetry.” No kidding. I can look at a wall, and put my finger right in the exact center of it. I can look at a photograph on the wall and see the slightest bit of crooked in how it hangs. (You might catch me adjusting the artwork in your house!) Likewise, when I built that fence in the backyard, I used a level to make sure the posts were the same height, but not one measurement was ever off. I think it’s from all those years designing newspaper pages, where lines of copy had to be straight.

So, fence-building is easy for me.

And, while some fences are built to keep things in and some fences are built to keep things out, my specialty has always been that fence that hides what’s behind it.
               
I will never forget the week after Richard was born in 1994. I had left the newspaper business and was working a part-time job that summer, feeling God calling me to ministry but not really clear on how to dive into it. I spent a lot of time in Bible Study and prayer. Money was tight. We were making do, but money was still very tight. We had three little boys under 6 and life was in a spin.

The fence communicated, “Everything is just fine here” and that’s what most people saw. But, behind the fence, life was a roller-coaster of highs and lows, and confusion and chaos.

We were in Atlanta one weekend that summer, and my mama quietly whispered, “I know better. Where is Jesus? Walk with Jesus, and everything will become clear for you.” She was right. Mothers have a way of seeing through the fences, don't they? I've used her lesson to me in helping listen to many others. I can’t tell you how many times I have been blessed by people who have called or met with me concerning the pain in their lives. And, as we meet, and as I listen, what I see on the first approach is the fence. “Scott, I don’t what to do about my career.” Or, “Scott, my spouse doesn’t love me.” Or, “Scott, how in the world have I lost control of my children?” Or, “Scott, I hate my job.” Or, “Scott, let me tell you about a friend of mine . . . (the ultimate fence) Or, “Scott, I can’t sleep; I’m so worried about the future.”

These fence-builders are coming to the master fence-builder and don’t even know it. As I tell my boys, “You can’t out-pirate an old pirate like me” so likewise “when it comes to fence-building, you can’t out-build me. I have been at it far too long.” And, so, like my mama taught me, I go beyond the restlessness to the heart of the matter. Where is Jesus in this storm? Is Jesus your Savior? When you look past the fences, you will be surprised at how many people don’t know Jesus or how many people will say things like, ‘Well, I go to church.’ Not the same. Knowing Jesus is a question with a simple yes or no answer; any answer but a confident 'yes' is really a 'no.'

If you study the life of Jesus, especially behind the miracles, you will see that Jesus went to the heart of the issue. Whether he brought someone back from the dead, or healed the sick, or restored the blind, or drove out demons, He looked beyond those fences to the heart of the matter – Can I be your Savior? Am I your Savior?

In John 9, there’s the lengthy story of Jesus walking along, and coming up on a man blind since birth. Jesus made some mud with his own spit, put the mud on the man’s eyes, and healed him. The man confessed to others that Jesus had healed him, and was called before the religious leaders. Listen to v. 13-34.

I want you to read that exhausting passage in John 9:13-34. Read it for the absurdity in it. Everyone is focusing on the blindness - on the fence - and the leaders even call in the poor blind man's parents. There so unnecessary drama as everyone focuses on the blindness and the fact that the man can now see. And, the poor blind man is jerked around like a feather in a storm.

In verse 35, Jesus hears about the insanity. He goes to the blind man and Jesus looks beyond the fence to the heart of the matter. He asks, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" And, by verse 38, the man with his sight restored says, "Yes Lord, I believe" and He worships Jesus.

"I am so worried about my career." Where is Jesus in your career plans?

"My spouse doesn't love me." Are you following Jesus, loving Jesus, and then loving your spouse that way?
"I've lost control of my children." Are you leading your children in faith? Are you praying for your children? Are your children seeing that you love Jesus?

"I hate my job." What does Jesus want you to do with your life?

"I can't sleep for all the fear in my life." Are you a follower of Jesus?

Many, many people live lives that look like the corner of my yard where the old metal shed used to stand. There are a lot of weeds back there. There is a lot of old junk back there. There’s a lot of wood from past projects back there. And, rather than clean it up, the easier thing to do is build a fence that hides it. It's time to stop looking like a healthy Christian and taking steps to become a follower of Jesus. (Moving past this metaphor, I will clean it up this fall and I will keep the fence.)

This year, I am really taking a personal accounting of where I am with Jesus. I really am. I am praying more. I am pondering where my life has been and where I want it to go next. I am working to pull down life's fences. I want to be even more transparent to people even if that means being more vulnerable to people. I keep coming back to these words, “Where am I with Jesus?” I encourage you to do the same. What’s in the dark corners of your life? What ‘s the condition of your life behind the walls of your home? And, are you building fences rather than dealing with the real question: Where is Jesus in my life?

The Change Up

God gave me a lesson to teach this week, but then He hijacked that lesson and replaced it with another.

Reading this week from the book of Romans - written by Paul - I came across the familiar verse of Romans 12:2-3: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then, you will know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." I understand the larger context of that verse, but it spoke to me differently this time: "Change the way you think, Scott, change up the way you are living. Let God use that to transform you."

I came away from Christmas this year somewhat sick at my stomach.

Every year, we go to bed late on Christmas Eve and get up early on Christmas morning. Then, we rush through our family time so that we can pack up and get on the road to Atlanta. We must be at my parents’ house by 4:30 or 5 because at 5:30 we sit down to a meal of prime rib, Aunt Lou’s rice, green beans cooked in fat back, some kind of strawberry salad, Sister Shubert’s frozen dinner rolls, and chocolate layer cake for dessert. Then, we descend into the great room – all 21 of us – for a marathon of opening gifts most of which everyone knows will be exchanged so receipts are included inside the gift. Then, we watch a little television and go to bed. The next day, Christmas is over, and we all begin to drift back to our homes, and my parents are generally glad to see us leave, taking the chaos of the Christmas celebration with us. Each year, it is a mind-numbing exercise in routine. Over and over, year after year, it is the same scene in the same drama of our lives. And, because it’s monotonous, going-through-motions, the same old same old, we begin to get lethargic with Christmas and with family. Our celebration, unintentionally, becomes stagnant. Christmas becomes more about the “doing just to get it over with” rather than “celebrating family through Christmas.” It's time for a change up.

And, stagnation in one area of our life begins to infect every corner of our lives. Our days, our months, our years all begin to look like one another. Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day the same old way as last year? Flowers, card, candy, dinner out, sex? Maybe all the pieces were there, but how different would it be say if you had sex first? Then, you ate the candy together in bed. At least it would be different. What? Not without alcohol? Well, maybe a little champagne breakfast is just what you and yours need on a Valentine’s Day. And, this year, on a Thursday! Now, that's changing it up!

Stagnation and lethargy are suffocating the human experience. Vicki and I were in Washington DC this past weekend. I was the speaker at a church communication clinic,and we decided to turn the trip into a Valentine's getaway. On Friday, she wanted to visit the national Holocaust Museum. I had been there before, and so I let Vicki tour at her own pace. I went to the various “reflection” areas just to think and pray and listen to the testimonies of the Holocaust survivors. A message kept coming through to me, “count every single day as precious – count every single day as an opportunity to really live it. Don’t let your life become complacent. Don’t let your life become lethargic and stagnant.”

Change things up. Keep your life fresh. Value your relationships.

• Every day with your spouse should be like your first date with your spouse. 
• Every day with your children should be like the first day you held them.
• Every day with your Savior should be like the day you first confessed Jesus as your Savior.

The problem is that life calls us to conformity. It's easy (lazy, I say) to just get into routines and schedules and habits, walking like zombies through life and leaving a wake of complacency, lethargy and stagnation. We do the same things the same way - year after year after year - and then we moan from our death beds, "Where did my life go?" I will tell  you this, more and more I am an advocate of "change for the sake of change." Let's just do things differently. And, see if we can't experience a revival of God in our lives because of it.

Perhaps the most sad thing of all is when we let our faith – our precious faith – slip into stagnation. It is so easy for our faith lives and our practice of faith to be no different in 2013 than it was in 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009. And, I laugh when I hear people say, “I will be a better believer when my children are grown because I will have more time for church and faith.” Great for you - not so good for your children. And, the most unchurched group of people in America? Empty-nesters, who no longer feel the pressure to have their children at church. Stagnation today will be even greater tomorrow. It's a cancer.

You and I need a new enthusiasm.
We need a new enthusiasm over our faith. We need a new enthusiasm over time with Scripture, prayer, the gathering of believers, and the service toward others.
We need a new enthusiasm over our spouses.
We need a new enthusiasm over our children, parents and siblings.
We need a new enthusiasm over the family calendar.
We need a new enthusiasm over our friends, and the finding of new friends in faith.
We need a new enthusiasm over evangelism and telling others about Jesus.
We need a new enthusiasm over this precious life we have been given.

I pray every day that you and I can be part of a revival in Lexington, SC. Not that we necessarily lead it, but that we just have opportunity to be a part  of it. I want to see men and women, husbands and wives, say, I’m going to love Jesus deeply and my life – my priorities, my calendar and even my bank account – will show it. I'm going to change things up.

I’m going to open the Bible every day. I’m going to pray every day – even if I just close my eyes and sit quietly. I’m going to stun my wife by sitting beside her on the sofa and holding her hand – not toward the goal of seeing her naked, but just because I love her. I’m going to go on walks with my children – individually – so I can hear their voices, and I’m not going to be a dream-killer when they share the dreams of their hearts. For no reason whatsoever, I am going to call my parents and siblings and just say, "I love you and I appreciate you."

I decided in December that I would change things up by adding weekly exercise to my calendar. My med-school son pushed me further. "You can't work out 2-3 days a week, dad, and then go eat Rush's chili cheeseburgers. Count your calories, watch  your salt and what your fat. But, mostly, dad, do something every day - walk 20 minutes every day. Do something to get your heart rate going."

I've gotten to where I look forward to the daily walk of 60 minutes or more. I use the time to pray or to listen to Scripture on my iPod, or just listen to a good book - usually fiction or a biography - on tape. I feel better because of the walk. I've met some good people who have encouraged me and whom I have encouraged. I sleep better because of the exercise, and because I sleep better my days are more rested and focused. I'm getting more work done in less time. I'm more patient and sympathetic because I'm more rested and feel better. One hour of walking every day has changed a lot of different places of my life. That one hour has shaken me out of a lethargy that beset me in the final quarter of 2012.

Change something. Let God shake open your life like shaking out a bed sheet on a nice Spring morning. What can God do with me and you if we just change some things to live today differently from this day last year and from yesterday? Revival begins with me and you. We need to change things up.

Birth Announcements

Job is coming out of a dark and deep valley, and he says to God, humbly and exhausted and broken, "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you."

When searching for something to fully describe the power of Almighty God, Job's words just stop me in my tracks: God, I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. No one can stop you. Not all the armies and all the kingdoms and all the rulers together can stop you. The forces of evil and darkness can't stop you. You can do anything, God. And, by contrast and comparison, we can do nothing.

And, yet, this powerful, Almighty, sovereign God chooses to love each one of us. For those who love Him, through faith in Jesus, He says that He will keep us from harm, watch over our days, and all things in our lives will work to bring Him glory. He says that He has plans for us, and had those plans before we were even born.

God is all powerful and all loving.

This season of Christmas, we celebrate birth. We celebrate God coming to Earth as Jesus to provide a way for restoration with God. This past week, I've been a spectator of two powerful examples of birth and rebirth. I've been a spectator of what Job says when he says, "I know that you can do anything."

Jeff

Jeff and my oldest son, Andrew, were on the University of South Carolina track team together for three years. They became friends. For the past five years, we have prayed for Jeff - not in pitiful ways, but in expectant ways that God would make Himself known to Jeff, and through Jesus, launch a new chapter in Jeff's life.

For the past few Easters, we have opened our home for the boys to invite their college friends to our church, and then to our home for Easter lunch and an egg hunt. This year, Andrew called to say that Jeff was coming with him. We had a great time, and enjoyed getting to know Jeff. Afterwards, we didn't think much more of it. Yet, prayers continued. (Pictured is this year's group of egg-hunters; Jeff is in the top row, left; Andrew is in the center (blue shirt).

At Thanksgiving, I asked Andrew if Jeff ever attended church with him near campus, and Andrew said that Jeff did not and probably would not attend church with him. And, we just sort of dropped the conversation. Yet, prayers continued.

Last Monday, Dec. 3, at 9:46 p.m., I received this text from my oldest son, "Jeff gave his life to Christ tonight."

And, putting on my "Reverend" hat, I responded in the most call-worthy way I could at the moment: "Holy Crap!!" I texted. And, here's the ensuing text conversation.

Me: I need details.

Andrew: We went to get wings. And, then Jeff asked me to get ice cream. He said he's been thinking about Jesus a lot and what that means. He talked to me about coming to church with me over Easter, and then he just asked questions. I shared the gospel with him as best I could and then asked him, "Why not (give your life to Jesus) right now." And, Jeff said, "Yeah, I want to." So, he asked me what to pray and I told him. It was huge.

Me: Did he pray?

Andrew: Out loud (in the Sandy's parking lot).

Me: Wow, son, you watched someone be born again!

Andrew: I can't stop laughing when I think about it. God can do anything. It is so exciting. God is going to do great things with Jeff.
Since that conversation, I've had opportunity to meet with Jeff and begin discussions about believer's baptism, joining with a fellowship of believers, Bible Study and prayer. I've reminded Jeff that this is not the end of a story or a mile-marker, but the beginning of a new life - a new story in Jesus and following Jesus. In his own genuine way, he's all over it, and I'm confident Andrew will continue to mentor his friend. I will pray for both of them.

Born again. This story has some messages for me and you:

• Never give up praying for people.
• Never doubt that God can do anything, and that His timing often does match our timing.
• Simple hospitality with no agenda can make a difference to people.
• Be ready to share the gospel "as best you can" when you have the opportunity to do it. Don't walk away from the chance to introduce someone to Jesus.

Kelly & Leigh Ann
Kelly and Leigh Ann Roberts are near and dear to my heart. Leigh Ann is my baby sister. I was months shy of 15 when she was born in 1974. She and Kelly have been married 15 years, and have been unable to have children of their own. A few years ago, at Christmas, Kelly and Leigh Ann gave out gift cards to my family and to the families of my brothers. This was unusual because we siblings don't exchange Christmas gifts. When I acted surprised at their kind gesture, my sister said, "Well, we don't have anyone to buy gifts for and this is something we want to do."

In my heart of hearts, I ached for her. It was as if that Christmas gift was her way of saying, "We give up, and surrender the desires of our heart to Almighty God."

My former sister-in-law, Cindy, is a labor and delivery nurse at a south Georgia hospital. Because Cindy will always be the mother of "cousin Paul," we've kept the doors of communication open with her and still love her. Off the family radar - and a few hundred miles away - Cindy has always been on the lookout for a baby in need of adoption.

Last Friday morning, I was visiting my parents in Atlanta. When I came downstairs, about 8 a.m., my mama said, "Cindy has found a baby for Kelly and Leigh Ann." I was two cups short of coffee, but was still able to grasp the reality. A baby had been born in the pre-dawn hours of that Friday, and its parents wanted to place it for adoption. Cindy called my mother, who found my sister. Leigh Ann, a nurse, called Kelly, a school teacher, and told him the news by telephone. It went sort of like this:

God has provided us with a baby. We need to make a decision right now.
The decision was easy.

As long as I live, I will never forget my sister's words when she called me about mid-morning.

"You have no idea how long we have prayed for this, and I know this is a gift from God," she said. "This is how God works in my life - He comes quickly and in big ways."

On Saturday morning, without nine months to plan and prepare a nursey, these two took off for south Georgia, where they adopted this little girl and named her - Emilee Joy Roberts. (Pictured, right, with her mommy) Her middle name is so very appropriate for this Christmas gift from God. How blessed we are that the birth parents chose to have the baby and not pursue abortion; how blessed we are that they loved this girl enough to ensure she has a home dedicated to loving and serving a Holy God; and how blessed we are that God preserved our relationship with Cindy for all these years.

A life born to one day be born again. This story, too, has messages for me and you:

• Never give up pouring out the desires of your heart. God hears them; He absolutely hears them. And, in His time - not ours - He will answer those prayers even if it's not how we might expect them to be answered.
• Never doubt that God can do anything.
• Preserve the relationships that come in and through your life. Finish well this life with no ill will toward anyone. You never know how that person might be used, by God, to love and serve the ones you love down the road.

This Christmas, be reminded. Please be reminded, "Oh God, I know you can do anything, and no one can stop you." Amen.

Chasing Jesus is life-changing

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24.

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?

Followers of Jesus choose to pursue Him. Followers of Jesus can look at today, compare it to the same day last year, and say, “Yes, I am closer to Jesus and I am more like Jesus today than I was on this day last year.” There is an assurance of that.

You see, the word following implies forward movement; it implies a pursuit or chasing after Jesus. And, so it stands to reason that if I am following Jesus, I will be on a forward-moving journey with Him, and in that journey I will become more like Him, and my today will not be the same as my yesterday.

I’ll go so far as to say those who today are no closer to Jesus than last year, well, they aren’t really following Jesus at all. More than likely, these good people are simply church Christians who believe church attendance, church busyness and participation in church stuff is synonymous with following Jesus. Churchyness (my word) can contribute to the spiritual journey of following Jesus, but for many it does not. Churchyness is largely a clinical exercise to meet cultural expectation: I want people to know I am associated with a church so they will believe that I am a good person. If I were Satan, I would love, love, love people to buy into that theology.

Look at what the prophet Isaiah writes in Isaiah 51:1: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” We are called to “pursue” and to “seek” Jesus; we are called to be moving forward in our faith journey. We are called to be followers.

In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul writes, “but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” and “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul says we are to be moving forward, following Jesus, “pressing on” and “straining toward.” Am I? Are you? Is your today significantly more close to Jesus than your yesterday? Ask your spouse. Ask your parents. Ask your friends.

It’s all easier said than done, frankly, because we live in a broken and sinful world, and because we are broken and sinful people. But, that does not excuse us from being on the journey. In fact, we are guaranteed the journey will be hard and also that few will actually choose to take this narrow way. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

At this writing, Vicki has me on a diet. To be on that diet requires life changes on my part and a diligent moving forward. I am on a journey. At the end, I will be different than I am today. But, along the way, I will face temptation and may even slip backward. In fact, unless I am diligent and focused, I will choose to fail. And, then I will no longer be able to say that I am on a diet at all. I can “watch what I eat” and lie about being on a diet, but I know that I won’t really be on a diet at all. On the other hand, I might stumble on the diet, regroup and begin the journey again. Even though I have slipped, I can still claim to be on the diet because I am continuing to move forward.

So often, the faith journey - following Jesus - is a two steps forward and one step backward journey, but it is still about making that one step of progress. It's always about moving forward and being more like Jesus.

Life is constantly calling us backward to the easy, to the comfortable, to the “be like everyone else” and if you and I succumb to that, we will never be able to follow Jesus. Nothing about that cross is easy or comfortable or like “everyone else."

In summary:

Following Jesus is about saying:

1. My life is better, more peaceful, more joyful and more hopeful when I set my eyes on Jesus and decide to follow Him.
2. By following Jesus, what I really mean is that I will respect Him as my leader, and pursue Him. He is in front of me, and I will chase Him and pursue Him toward a goal of being more like Him. What does that mean? I will intentionally choose to (a) completely love people – all people – not just in words, but in deeds; (b) extend undeserved forgiveness to people; (c) see beyond the surface attitudes of people to understand the motivations, and then minister to them; and (d) I will build relationships with all people – all people – and help them discover joy, peace and hope that’s only found in Jesus Christ. I will call others to pursue Jesus and pray to see them baptized according to Matthew 28:19.

And, I know that I as I draw close to Jesus, and as I follow Him, it will be very difficult to maintain the pursuit.

1. People won’t understand. They will raise an eyebrow, and I can expect following Jesus to reshuffle the deck of my relationships. I will gain new friends; I will lose old friends. It will be joyful and painful all at the same time. In the end, though, it will be peaceful.
2. I can expect following Jesus to cost me something. It might cost me a job. It might cost me position. It might cost me time and money. Jesus' sacrifice on that cross was costly to Him; following Him and becoming like Him will absolutely cost me. There is no cheap grace; only a costly, expensive grace. That's why it's the narrow way and few really choose it.
3. As the white hot light of the cross burns my sinful nature, the pressure of it all will cause me to retreat into the darkness of my sinful nature. And, I will find myself in a sorrowful place because my retreat will grieve the Holy Spirit within me. And, I can expect Jesus to find me and ask, “Scott, what are you doing? Are you a believer or not? In or out? Let’s get back on the journey.” And, I will decide to follow or not.

What I have learned about following my Jesus:

1. I must be intentional about it. The world is calling me away from Jesus; following Him requires my absolute focus and best effort.
2. I must allow the Holy Spirit to place me around people – even people that make me feel uncomfortable - for encouragement and correction; love and service. 
3. I must look beyond what I want and see what others need. And, then I must respond the best that I can. And, where I can't respond, I will mobilize others to respond.
4. The call on my life is not to be perfect; the call of my life is to simply focus my life on being more Christ-like and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, actions and my attitudes.
5. I must anchor my life in Scripture and prayer.
6. The world will notice, my family will notice, my friends will notice, and following Jesus will tighten some of my relations and loosen others. Following Jesus comes with a cost, but it is a cost worth paying.
7. I only understand a fraction of all this, but I understand all that I need to know. I need Jesus, others need Jesus, and it is my responsibility to follow Jesus – to work to be more like him – each and every day of my life so that others can see and know Jesus because of His reflection on me.
8. If my today is not closer to Jesus that my yesterday, I am not following Jesus at all.

When Jesus says, "Go" - it's not optional

In the last words of Matthew, the apostle writes that the 11 remaining disciples (Judas is dead) left for Galilee and went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they arrived, they saw Jesus, who was preparing to take His eternal place at the right hand of God. Seeing Jesus, the disciples worshipped Him, but some still doubted. Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) told them, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Bible is full of rich Scripture passages, but for me this is one of the richest of them all. Ben and Jerry’s makes an ice cream flavor called Chocolate Therapy. It contains chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookies, and swirls of chocolate pudding. It’s loaded. That’s how I see Matthew 28:18-20: Loaded.

Jesus proclaims Himself as King Of Everything – heaven and earth. You and I must bite down on that one. When I was a little boy, my daddy had complete authority over me. I did exactly what he said, and if I refused there were consequences. If there was wiggle room it was because he gave it to me and not because I demanded it. He was the boss of me. Well, Jesus trumps that father-son and every other relationship that I have. Jesus has authority over me and everything about me, and that authority extends to everything, everywhere, natural and supernatural. So, when Jesus says “Scott, go do xyz” I have two responses – submit and do it, or reject Him. If I reject Him, I am disloyal. Whew. Reject Jesus? Whew, again.

Because Jesus is King of Everything, when He says, “Go! Make disciples . . .” I have no choice but to do it. Neither do you. None of us have a choice if indeed Jesus is our Savior and our Lord. In the context of today, I believe Jesus is saying, “You have slipped into believing faith is sitting in a seat, serving on a church committee, throwing your coins in an offering plate, and calling yourself a ‘Good Christian.’” That’s not good enough. That’s not “going.” Jesus is saying, “Do Something – and not just roll back poverty at Christmas.” No. Jesus is saying, “The end result is not the going and doing – the end result is making disciples, seeing people baptized, and teaching the gospel to people who haven’t heard it.”

And, Jesus reminds us that as we step out of comfort zones and "Go," we don't have to worry about anything. Because He is "always with us - until the end of time as we know it" and - He is King over everything, including both our comfort zones and where we are being called to go.

When my dad told me, “Scott, go cut the grass,” I went and cut the grass. When my dad said, “Scott, I need you to help me after school today,” I helped my dad after school that day. As my authority, He commanded and I submitted.

Jesus expects that, too. Business commitments? Family commitments? Physical restraints? He understands all that because all of that is under His authority, too. Still, He says, “Go, and as you go, be prepared to share your faith story.”

If Jesus knocked on your front door and said, “Come with me. I’ve got something for you to do.” What would you do? What are you doing? He is knocking all the time. His call to “Go” is constant.

Our class response to this Scripture mandate is to a be a missional Sunday School class. That’s why we are involved in partnerships with Lexington Interfaith Community Services (LICS), our Behind The Badge work with local law enforcement agencies, our annual walk with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, our trip to North Dakota, and our response to Lexington Baptist Church missions and ministries. It’s why I want to see us be intentional about providing devotions at Sunday morning youth sports events. It’s why we have adopted a parking lot to greet people on Sunday mornings. It’s why we engage local benefit projects. God may be calling you to lead us in a new partnership. Because as we get our hands and feet involved in faith, we build partnerships and relationships, and through those the Holy Spirit will help us share Jesus with others. The end game is not the charitable work. The end game is making disciples and seeing people come to know Jesus as Savior . . . and King of Everything natural and supernatural.

Forward in faith

From Derek Miller ~ Back in the early ‘70’s, I fashioned myself to be a pretty good baseball player.  I could hit the ball fairly well and was a pretty good fielder.  I enjoyed going to practice and playing in the games.  Most of my practices were fairly close to home and my parents were reliable to pick me up after practice.  One day, however, our practice was held at a local elementary school that was positioned by one of the malls in the city.  Relatively speaking, it was pretty far away from my house.  My mom dropped me off at 4:00 for practice and the last thing she said as I got out of the car was, “your Dad will be here to pick you up” and she drove away.  At about 5:15, our practice ended and other players started leaving the field.  Many asked if I needed a ride and I would just reply cheerfully, “oh no, my Dad is going to be here to pick me up.”  Finally, the school yard cleared and I was the only kid left there.  The time went by, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00 and my Dad had not arrived.  Remember this was before cell phones or texts, so I had no way of knowing what the hold up was.  As it started moving toward darkness at about 7:25, I hatched the idea that I would walk to the mall and call home—how I was going to do that, I have no idea as I had no money to use in the pay phone.  As I started walking away from the field, an approaching car caught my attention—it was my Dad and brother coming.  So, I ran back to the school to meet them as they passed me by.  It seems that my Dad had forgotten that he needed to pick me up and I was there alone for over 2 hours waiting on him.

I was never so fearful in my life when I was waiting for him and had no idea why he was not there.  Our heavenly Father, on the other hand, is there for us.  The hardest part for us is that we have to completely trust Him and have faith that He is going to be there for us and direct our paths.  Just like the fear that I experienced wondering where my earthly Father was when I was sitting at that practice field, I am sometimes paralyzed by fear—fear of the unknown in my future.  In Proverbs 3:5-6, it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight.”  In the King James Version, the last part of that verse says that, “He shall direct your paths.”  Notice that we are not called upon to trust in the Lord with some of our heart, or most of our heart, but every single bit of our hearts.  In the same way, we are called upon in all of our ways to acknowledge Him.  That can be easy to say and very difficult to put into practice every single time we are faced with a challenge.

With our upcoming transfer to Georgia, we had lots of questions.  While we are familiar with the area and it would seem that it would be easy to re-acclimate back there, we were faced with lots of decisions that had big impacts.  Most all of those were encapsulated in one big decision—where would we live.  While we had our own ideas of where that should be, we turned it over to God to help us make the decisions.   We thought we should look at areas closer to our offices.  We would continue to rule out areas further away.  While we watched, many houses that we looked at, started dropping out as options pretty early on.  One house that we really liked and was the first house on our list, went under contract in early March.  It was located further away from our offices so we dismissed that as being expected when we looked at it and kept moving forward because it was not in our desired location.  That house came back on the market and we continued to pray for God’s guidance as we looked.  I even remarked to our realtor that it might get to the point, where we would need a neon sign outside of a home saying, “This is the One”.  As we continued the process, many homes came on the market and we would pray for discernment as to which house we should choose.  One by one, those houses went under contract.  It became so concerning that we contacted our realtor and asked her if we needed to go ahead and come earlier than planned to find a house.  She indicated that we should.  So, in late March, we went over and started looking at houses again.  We saw one house that we really liked in the same neighborhood as the other one we liked.  Joyce and I discussed which one we would prefer and we prayed for God’s discernment.  During that week, the 2^nd house sold and we were left with the original house in that neighborhood.  As we walked up to the house on our realty tour, we could see a sign in the foyer.  There was a neon green poster board that said, “This is the One!”  While we know the realtors had talked, it became evident that the sign was right.  As we negotiated the price, the counter-offer came back right where we had hoped to be if we were buying the house.  The very next day, another offer came in but we had an agreed price by then.  It was not where we originally thought we would be, but it was evident that it is where God wanted us to be.

A few weeks ago, Pastor Mike told the story in Joshua where the Israelites were crossing over the Jordan River heading into the Promised Land.  In Joshua 3:14-17, it indicated that the Jordan River was at flood stage.  Joshua directed the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to go forward.  As soon as they stepped their feet into the Jordan, the river water started backing up and the people crossed over on dry land.  Notice something here.  God did not tell the Israelites to stand on the sidelines until He was ready for them and then the miracle would happen.  He did not say, wait until I part the water in front of you before you cross.  They actually had to take steps forward in faith to step into the water before the miracle occurred.  Before they did that, they had no idea what was being planned.  They had to “trust in the Lord with all their hearts and lean not on their own understanding.”

In the book we just recently started in MOVERS called “Crazy Love” by author and Pastor Francis Chan, he talks about our minds are the size of a soda can and our God is as vast as the ocean.  Do I really want to have faith in and serve a God that I can compact into a space that I can comprehend and understand everything that He is doing?  Having read the entire Bible, I am yet to find where it says that we will always have complete understanding of everything that God is up to.  What it does say in several places is that we are to trust in the Lord.  In Proverbs, I am called upon to trust with my entire heart and acknowledge Him in everything that I do and He will direct my paths.  Just like the people of Israel, we have to move forward and let God direct us where we need to go even if we don’t fully understand what is going on.  Also, in Deuteronomy 31:6, God tells Moses to “be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified. . ., for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  With promises like that, are you willing to take the first steps of faith and let Him direct your paths?

Finishing Well - Keeping The Faith

I was about 10, and my dad bought my brother and me a Honda 50 motorcycle – though motorcycle is probably a stretch. It was more of a dirt bike / moped; the smallest of the Honda series of motorcycles. Think “Shetland Pony.”

But, we were two little boys living in the country – a long way from friends – and that red Honda 50 was great entertainment.

One of our first projects was to build a trail through my grandfather’s pastureland between our house and his house. This would allow us quick access between the two houses without the danger of being on Brookwood Road – a long and dangerous stretch of country road.

What looked like an easy task turned into a project that took two little boys weeks to complete. In building that trail, we might as well have been building a railroad. Digging in the pasture soil, we removed clumps of pasture grass and then had to fill in the divots. We encountered a large berm (“hump” for those of you not oriented to trail construction) in the pasture. The first time we drove the Honda over the berm, we went air-born and I thought for sure Tim had died. In fact, I approached his body while praying only to hear him say, “I think I’m okay.” He was. (He later became a fighter pilot). So, we had to take days to level out the berm, leaving enough to make it exciting but not dangerous. There was also a low spot in the trail, and the low spot would get pretty swampy when it rained. We scrounged around and found some old 2 x 6 boards, making a bridge over the low spot. The last leg of the trail was an incline. We wrecked the bike again trying to take it straight up, and that led us to days of creating a series of cut backs to better maneuver the incline.

As long as I live, I will never forget the day we finished the trail and prepared for the first official test drive. We even took a piece of mama’s red ribbon and nailed it between two boards as a ceremonial finish line at my grandparents’ house. Tim and I flipped a coin to see who would make that first inaugural run, and he won. So, I assembled at the finish line and called out my grandparents and dad to watch the first run. Through an old set of binoculars, I watched as Tim left our house on the Honda 50.

Down through the pasture he came, jumped the berm, crossed the bridge, and then zig-zagged his way up “the mountain” (our term) before crossing the finish line. When he crossed the finish line, he stopped, threw off his helmet, and we hugged and danced around like two little wild boys. It was so emotional because we had worked so hard, for so long, to finish that project and then it was successfully done. Knowing how sensitive we were (and are), I’m sure we were on the verge of happy tears. All that long, hot work had paid off and it was successful.

That trail took (a) having a plan; (b) having a perspective; and (c) having perseverance.

We had a plan to build that trail to connect two homes. We had a learned perspective that this was not going to be easy and there was no way to make it easy. We had perseverance because there were many days when one of us would want to quit and the other would push us along to the finish line. Through it all, we finished well.

The New Testament is full of encouragement to finish this life well.
2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Acts 20:24, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Life is not easy. It’s a tough course with divots, and berms, and swamps, and high places that must be climbed.

But, we believers have been assigned a course to run through this life, and we have been given an individual ministry purpose to let our lives shine for the Savior who died for us. That ministry may be through our neighborhoods, through our workplaces, through our families, and through our community. Most likely, it all involves every corner of our lives. Our race is to run well through the trials, proclaiming the name of Jesus through our words and through our actions.
And, all around us – and there at the finish line – are all the believers with and ahead of us, cheering for us – cheering for our perseverance – as we finish well the life at hand. And, finishing well means that others see Jesus through us, and want to know Him because of what they see in us and through us.

Finishing well this life of faith is about having a plan – I want my life to go from here to there (and that journey can start today!). Finishing well this life of faith is about having a perspective – I know it’s not going to be easy, and I know it’s going to be very hard and very costly. Finishing this life of faith is about having perseverance – the “get up and go” even when the times are tough, and being in the fellowship of believers for encouragement and support. (Can you really expect to finish well without the support and encouragement of other believers?)

Start your race today.

If you are on a race, keep pushing forward.

If you need encouragement, let others know that you do.

Be prepared to say, “I live this life for one reason – to lift up the name of my Savior, Jesus.”

Finish well. The Finish Line is out there in our futures, and as we collapse into the arms of our Jesus, we want to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”