Choices
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Friday, February 16th, 2024
There are two ways to coach someone. You can coach down. Or you can coach up. I’m guessing you are probably wondering what in the world I am talking about. Real briefly: coaching up is a positive way to coach. Look for signs of improvement. Look for signs of progress. To get to this week’s Scripture I would say read Colossians 3:1-4. To wrap up from last week:
- We need to set our minds and hearts on things above. (v.1)
- We need to reshape our perspective. (v.2)
- We need to redefine our purpose. (verses 3-4).
Sadly, there is also a need to “coach down.” Let me explain. Coaching down in this instance means to “put to death” certain things. Verses 5-11 is a list of things Paul says we are to put to death. Here they are:
- We are to put to death our sinful passions. (5-7)
- We are to put to death our sinful practices. (8-10)
- We must put to death our sinful pride. (11)
This Sunday’s message is Part 1 of Tough Challenges are Given. Pastor Ryan will be preaching Part 2 while Jo and I are gone. If you have a chance to visit, we would love to have you. If you are unable to join us in person, please check out our live stream. We meet at 9:00 and 10:45.
For another perspective on this sermon, please check out my other blog, Cycleguy’s Spin. You can link to it here.
Posted in InTheShadow | Comments Off on #ToughChallenges
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Sermon Series, Sin
Thursday, February 15th, 2024
“Lest we forget…”
I woke up this morning with that phrase running through my mind. “Lest we forget…” It’s not uncommon to hear that spoken at a commemoration service honoring men and women who have served our country. And we never should forget.
In I Corinthians 10 a phrase very similar to that is used not once, but twice. In 10:6 it says, “These things happened as a warning to us…” In verse 11 it says, “These things happened as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”
The gist? Lest we forget.
As a follower of Jesus, I must not forget the lessons learned or to be learned. I need to recall the lessons others learned and shared lest I fall into the same pit they fell into or possibly avoided. Nor should I forget the lessons I have learned from past experiences.
I say all this because of an incident people just won’t let go of. All the “rage” this week has been the Travis Kelce dust-up with his coach, Andy Reid. I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I could care less if Travis was telling his coach about his latest escapade with his overly-hyped girlfriend. I don’t care if he was telling Coach Reid that he had heartburn from his pregame meal. I. SIMPLY. DON’T. CARE. But since I wasn’t born yesterday nor is my head buried under a rock, I cannot escape hearing or reading about the pundits, especially other overly paid football players. I read an article where several of them said, “If that had been me I would have been…” Then one of them pulled out the race card (Isn’t that getting kind of old?). It is my understanding these players quickly forgot the grace shown to them by the NFL just a few years ago. One was convicted of choking his girlfriend in college and yet…wait for it…he is given a second chance and drafted because he can catch an odd-shaped ball. Did he forget? Obviously.
My point is this: “Lest we forget.” As a Christ-follower we must never forget what we deserved versus what we received. The Israelites were given the examples in I Corinthians 10 (I encourage you to read the first 12 verses for reference and context) so they would not forget. They must not forget the damage and tragedy of sin and disobedience. But they also must not forget the goodness of God.
Good words for me to remember lest I forget.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Examples, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Humility, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Second Chance
Tuesday, February 13th, 2024
On my mind this morning when I woke up; when I rode my bike on my inside trainer; as I took a shower and dressed; and now as I sit and read my Bible at the table is a task-something I will do today…
I will attend a visitation and funeral of the friend of one of our new young ladies in the church.
She drank herself to death. That is harsh to say, I know, but even though only 30, her body said, “Enough.” It came to that point of her liver and kidneys failing due to alcohol abuse and past cancer treatments.
She is not alone. It is almost like an epidemic. People who lose hope. More specifically, young people who have lost hope. I guess we expect it more from an older person who can say, “I’ve lived my life. It is time for me to go.” But a young person? That cuts. Losing hope knows no age limits. It knows no status (Hollywood stars for example). It knows no financial acumen (the rich or the poor).
When did people lose hope? Please don’t fall back on COVID, although I am convinced it may have exacerbated it. Isolation. Loneliness. But I ask again: when did people lost hope? When did they lose sight of what David wrote: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”? (Ps. 139:17-18). Maybe a better question is, “Did they ever know they were valuable to God?”
There seems to be no doubt that we are living in a hopeless generation and it is tragic that so many are living in such despair that they either want to end it all, give up, or in the case like this just simply say, “What’s the use?” and stop fighting for life. If we could only get back to what David wrote earlier in Psalm 139: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” (verses 7-10). Those aren’t words of lament, of complaining about God’s presence. They are words of triumph. Of joy. Of hope.
Something there is just too little of these days. But something offered to us by the One who gave and gives us life.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Presence, Grace, Hope, Hopelessness, Loneliness, Mercy, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Monday, February 12th, 2024
Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. It is now part of what is being called President’s Day which is a celebration on February 19th, a conglomerate of Lincoln’s birthday and Washington’s birthday (22nd). I can remember when we used to celebrate them separately. Now I can’t even remember when that changed. Perhaps that happened when we got all “revisionist history?” I don’t know. My post today is not going to go down that rabbit trail.
Instead, Abraham Lincoln was known for making wise statements. I’d like to take a brief look at two of them.
One actually finds it roots in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Lincoln once said, “It is better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Those words are very similar to those found in Proverbs 17:28.
The other is a bit more confrontive. With the Civil War spawning bitter feelings all across our country, Abe saw fit to speak a kind word about the south. A shocked bystander asked him how he could do that. His answer was poignant: “Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friend?”
Jesus once said, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt. 5:43). “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If you are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will reap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Pr. 25:21-22).
Instead of responding tit for tat, let’s respond as Jesus has told us, and as Proverbs has encouraged us to. There is power in our actions…or inaction.
{Note: All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Friendship, Jesus, Kindness, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Seeking revenge
Monday, January 29th, 2024
In this age of deconstruction of one’s faith, having questions is seen almost tantamount to betrayal. Unfounded deconstruction with belligerent questions is dangerous. But when someone is asking questions, sincerely asking questions, I think that is a good thing. Dangerous yes. Scary yes. But necessary? Yes.
In my early morning study, I’m reading a book called 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know by Dave Adamson. Dave is not Jewish, just interested in Hebrew words. I know zero, zilch, nada about Hebrew. If I was 40 years younger maybe, but at 71 that ship has already sailed. But I’d like to know a little, even though the alphabet looks like Chinese hieroglyphics.
Anyway, today’s word was “wrestles with God.” (No, I’m not even to try to put the Hebrew letters here). There is no greater story on this topic in the Bible than Jacob wrestling with God. When done, he is a given a new name, Israel.
It is not unusual for people to have self-induced guilt or heaped on guilt by another for questioning what they believe. Or if they question a confusing passage. Or if we see God acting contrary to the way we think He should. And those tough passages that have us raising questions? Aaaaaah!!!
Jacob wrestled with God and came out blessed with a new name and a new purpose. If you have questions don’t bury them. Find someone you trust whom you can talk to. Search the Scriptures. Ask God to reveal His truth to you; He will not turn away. Struggling with your faith should not bring guilt; it should bring deeper digging and celebration as you learn more.
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Tags: Choices, Deconstruction, God, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection
Wednesday, January 10th, 2024
The power of the tongue seems to be a common theme in Proverbs. Probably the most forthright and pointed reference to the tongue in the New Testament is found in James 3. Just a few picked and chosen from 3:1-12. “But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire…it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison…” If you have access to a Bible, I’d like to encourage you to read James 3:1-12 in its entirety.
Proverbs 10 is full of verses dealing with the tongue. Please get your Bible and read verses 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 31, and 32. I highlighted verse 19 this morning: “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” (NLT)
This hits home. I’m a talker. I’m very social (they call us “extroverts”). And I am. Jo just shakes her head sometimes when I strike up a conversation with a clerk or a total stranger in the store. I love children, especially those as gregarious as me, and Jo has to remind me to be careful who I talk to. Some parents are leery of adults who talk to their children. At the ball fields this past summer, kids I read to in school would come to me and say, “Mr. Bill!” and then want to give me a hug. (I did group hugs when I was done reading). Some parents stared at me and I had to introduce and explain who I was and how I knew their child. And yes, sometimes I talk too much. Someone said about me that “He assumes a familiarity that is not there.” Guilty as charged.
And sometimes, more so in the past when I was younger and less cautious and disciplined, I said too much. It got me in trouble. You know the old adage, “Open mouth insert foot?” That was written about me. I’ve swallowed a lot of socks in my day. I didn’t always heed Proverbs 10:19 nor did I listen and learn very well from James 3.
Those words on the pages of the Bible are there for a reason. Learn from them. Take it from a recovering talker. Be wise. Keep your mouth shut. You can’t ever regret something you don’t say.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Extrovert, God's Word, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Speech
Tuesday, January 9th, 2024
“Comparisons are odious”
I remember reading that years ago but I can’t remember where. It just stuck with me. I do know part of it was that “odious” was not a word I used in my vocabulary…like never. 🙂
In Bill-speak that saying would be “comparisons are stupid.” In Oxford-speak that word is defined as “extremely unpleasant, repulsive.”
We have a bad habit of comparing ourselves to others. “He is taller than me.” “He plays baseball or basketball better than me.” What teen girl hasn’t compared her looks, her hair, or her physical characteristics to another? Influencers (the bane of existence) are constantly telling us “How to…” Adults compare houses, cars, and even bank accounts. There seems to be no end to our comparison.
It certainly happens in the church world. “He is a better preacher, teacher, singer, player, etc than me.” “He/she is wealthier than me so he gives more and what I give doesn’t matter.”
STOP!! HOLD THE PRESSES! SAY WHAT??? I have yet to see anywhere…ANYWHERE…that God’s Word makes that a criteria for serving Him. In fact, I read Luke 21 this morning and I love verses 1-4. It is the story of Jesus standing by and watching people give and a widow comes and gives her two mites (less than a penny in our currency). Pay particular attention to verses 3-4: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (NLT) Jesus put those “comparison-pickers” in their place. This widow gave all she had in comparison to the religious leaders who were mighty proud of themselves and thought they were all that and more. Looking down their noses at the “lesser givers” gave them a sense of being high and mighty. Jesus said, “Oh no. Not on my watch. This widow gave more.”
You see, it really doesn’t matter how much. It really does come down to your heart and the attitude in which you give. This widow gave all she had. Hang the comparison.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Comparison, Generosity, God's Plan, God's Word, Humility, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Sacrifice, Scripture look
Monday, January 8th, 2024
Forgiveness…it goes both ways. By saying that I’m not saying forgiveness happens when I forgive someone and they either forgive me or reconciliation takes place. No. I’m going in another direction.
First, there is vertical forgiveness. This is the forgiveness we receive from God-initially and ongoing. Forgiveness for sin in the process of salvation, and then forgiveness on a daily basis as a result of the continual need for it.
But I think the hardest just might be horizontal forgiveness. Forgiving others. Being forgiven. It is the former I am interested in today. Sometimes someone does something to us that rips our soul to pieces. Shakes us to the core. There is betrayal. Anger. Bitterness. All which can develop as a result. Betrayal is real; anger and bitterness are killers.
Let me explain. Without details let’s just suffice it to say that several years ago the church I pastor was the victim of a crime. A substantial one. The leaders of the church chose forgiveness rather than prosecution and restitution. I was part of that leadership and even today would not change a thing. While there were some people who were extremely upset at our decision, the choice was made. We have never looked back wondering, “What if..?” Plus, God has been so phenomenally good to us there is no way we made the wrong decision.
There are those who were wanting vengeance. I chose forgiveness and with that freedom. I’m convinced that the person who carries around or holds onto bitterness and hatred has the problem. I believe that to refuse forgiveness or to hold a grudge makes that person a slave to the one their anger and bitterness is directed at. To put it succinctly, they own me. If they enter my thoughts and dreams, influence my attitude or I find myself tying up in knots at the mere mention of that person’s name or presence, they own me. By God’s grace, I refuse to allow that. I belong to Him, the ONE who forgave on the cross, not that other person. He is the same ONE who said that if I have been forgiven I must forgive as well.
I laid to rest many years ago any hard feelings, ill will, vengeance, bitterness, or anger the enemy of my soul would want me to have. I refuse to play the devil’s game.
Today I lay to rest that perpetrator. The family asked if I would conduct the funeral. I, of course, said yes.
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Tags: Anger, Bitterness, Choices, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God's Plan, Love, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story, Vengeance
Thursday, January 4th, 2024
Just a reminder: Please check out my review of my friend, Martha Orlando’s excellent trilogy called The Glade Series at my other blog, Cycleguy’s Spin. You can access that review here.
I have mentioned a number of times about my practice of reading Proverbs every other month. One chapter= that calendar date. Today, for example: January 4= Proverbs 4. Maybe it is because I’m reading this year from the New Living Translation (NLT) or that I paid particularly close attention, but some seriously good stuff stuck out to me this morning. The whole chapter goes on about the importance of wisdom: Pay attention. Get it. Don’t turn your back on it. Prize it. Etc.
Beginning in verse 23 are some simple “rules of life” or “advice to live by” given. Here they are:
Verse 23- Guard your heart
Verse 24- Avoid perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.
Verse 25- Look straight ahead, fix your eyes straight ahead.
Verse 26- Choose the right path.
Verse 27- Don’t get sidetracked.
I thought I would give each a new heading, a new “wording” that might be easier to learn:
- Be careful what you expose yourself to.
- Watch your speech.
- Don’t let your eyes wander.
- Stay true.
- Stay focused.
Wise advice to follow today and every day. Choose wisdom. Then you will hear the ancient words: “You have chosen wisely.” (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) 🙂
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Truth Telling, Wisdom
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024
I mentioned in yesterday’s devotion under Goal #2 that I read recently read how Eve diminished God’s Word; she added to God’s Word; and she softened God’s Word. I’d like to elaborate on that very briefly in this devotion.
First, those thoughts came from Daily Strength-A Devotional for Men published by Crossway and compiled by various writers. These thoughts are from the January 2nd devotion and the writer is R. Kent Hughes. The main thoughts are his. Much of the supporting material is mine. Now to the thoughts:
1. Eve diminished God’s Word. In Gen. 3:2 she tells the serpent: “Of course, we may eat from the trees in the garden.” She diminished God’s Word by leaving out the word “every” as in “every tree.” Her shrunken rendition left out God’s generosity.
2. Eve added to God’s Word. In 2:17 they are told not to eat the fruit, but in 3:3 she adds that touching the tree was also forbidden. Seems like a small thing but by adding the word “touch” she magnified God’s harshness.
3. Eve softened God’s Word. She left out the word “surely” in 3:3 that we find stated by God in 2:17. Her omission removed the certainty of death which the serpent exploited in 3:4.
So…here is what I see as it applies to today. God’s Word is often diminished as we see feelings and “follow your heart” become the mantra and take precedence over “What does God’s Word really say?” Second, people are constantly adding to God’s Word to make it say what they want it to say. Add a little here; add a little there. What’s the harm? Third, we see God’s Word softened often. “Hell? There’s no hell, no eternal punishment for sin. Speaking of sin. What’s that?” Or we will hear “Everyone makes their own path to God. God doesn’t care.”
One more thing (and I’m grateful to John Eldredge from Wild at Heart for pointing this out years ago): The whole time Eve was having this exchange with the serpent, Adam was standing right there. (See Gen. 3:6b). Yep, good old Adam. Standing idly by. He sinned with his eyes wide open, watching the exchange. He never stepped in. He never put a hold or a stop to the conversation.
Perhaps the best way to conclude is a word from Mr. Hughes: “Eve followed the snake, Adam followed Eve, no one followed God.” Jesus once said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4) Let’s allow His Word to guide us.
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Please let me remind you again about my review of Martha Orlando’s The Glade Series I posted at Cycleguy’s Spin. You can access that here.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
