Written by Bill Grandi on March 19th, 2025
The book of Judges in the Old Testament is aptly named. It is about judges. Not judges as we know them-sitting behind some desk with a lawyer or two debating the merits of a case or of a person the case involves. This was a different kind of judge.
The people of Israel had promised Joshua that they would do as he had committed to: “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” That lasted…until Joshua died. In fact, immediately after Joshua’s death (recorded in Judges 2:6-9), verse 10 is pretty poignant: “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” Well…so much for the “As for me and my house” promise. What is even more telling is what it says in the following verses: “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord…They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them…They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashteroth.” {Editorial interject here: this is exactly what God has warned them against! This is why God wanted them to wipe out of people as they took over the Promised Land.}
God was not going to stand by and watch that happen, so He allowed foreign nations to take His people captive. But in His mercy He heard the cries of His people and raised up leaders (judges) to lead the people out of captivity. The pattern is simple to see. Taken captive by a foreign king. Live in slavery and captivity. Cry out to God for forgiveness and relief from captivity. God raises up a judge. The judge brings freedom. As long as the judge is alive, the people know freedom. The judge dies and they return to their sin and idol worship. The Israelites taken captive again. Rinse and repeat the cycle.
The judges are not household names: Othniel. Ehud (the left-handed warrior who plunged a knife into a very fat King Eglon). Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad (a traditional farming tool, a long stick with a pointed end-and sometimes a scraper or chisel at the other end-used to spur or guide oxen while they are pulling a plow or cart). Deborah (and her sidekick Barak). Other more well-known judges are Gideon and Samson.
The sad part is the Israelites kept repeating the pattern-the cycle- time after time. And each time a merciful and forgiving God would come to their rescue and free them. Sound familiar? It does to me. I am them. I go from “As for me and my house” to “I am going to do this on my own.” Fortunately, God is a merciful and forgiving God who lovingly envelopes me in His arms and says, “I forgive you my son.” How about you? Do you have that kind of God?
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Judges, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on March 18th, 2025
“When you play with fire you either get burnt or smell like smoke.” That was a saying I learned many years ago and have probably said it so often that if someone paid me $1 for every time I have said it I could retire. 🙂 It is one of those sayings (IMHO) that just stays with you and carries with it eternal truth.
There are many people who do just what this saying suggests. They see how close they can get to the fire without getting burnt. Or to put it another way: see how close they can get to the edge of the cliff without falling off. The teenager (or anyone for that matter) who sees how close they can come sexually but not “go all the way.” A pastor who cozies up to another but tries to draw the line at full-blown adultery. An accountant who plays with the numbers in an attempt to fudge them a bit in order to make himself look good or to benefit financially (I think that is called embezzlement). The person who says, “Just this once” but then finds himself craving the drugs.
Sin is like that. The enemy never makes sin look bad or ugly. The high, the good feeling, the adrenaline rush, the sexual release, whatever you may want to call it is never seen as ugly or bad. Why would he do that? Why would he make sin look so unattractive? We would all turn away if that was the case. Nope. He makes it look wonderful or fulfilling. The Christ-follower is especially vulnerable to this approach. Bolstered by the belief that “I can do this” that person is prime beef for the enemy to pounce. But most often it is a slow and enticing process. I have yet to talk to anyone who just says, “WOW! That is blatant temptation. I think I’ll just give in.” He slowly entices, sort of the like the cobra that seems mesmerized by the musician, until one moment he strikes.
By then it is too late. The failure to be prepared to do battle against the temptation; the failure to expect the temptation to come; the failure to keep our eyes wide open to what is possible and what we are putting ourselves through by exposure to sin, eventually becomes that which takes us down. In Judges 2 the tribes of Israel were told to take the land and not leave anyone standing. The failure to do so would leave them vulnerable to false gods. Needless to say, they didn’t do as they were told. They fought battles but ended up living in and among those they were supposed to erase. The result was compromise. They got too close to the fire and soon got burnt or smelled like smoke.
Don’t give into temptation. Let’s be aware of what “we are playing with.”
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Sin, Temptation
Written by Bill Grandi on March 17th, 2025
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” (Proverbs 17:17)
My friendship pool is small. Jim is in heaven. One lives in Martinsville, IN. A longtime college friend lives in KY. Then there is Dave. He and his wife flew in on Thursday and fly out tomorrow evening to return to Arizona. I met Dave almost 10 years ago. I am a cyclist and was plowed into by a hit-and-run driver one sunny November afternoon. His mirror hit my left hip leaving me sprawled on the road watching helplessly as he never once tapped a brake light nor slowed down. And yes, I do believe it was on purpose. I can tell you what he was driving (an early model Ford Escape) but I was unable to get his license plate nor take a picture. That is when I met Dave. We instantly bonded over an organization he led called 3 Feet Please. But then that bond went deeper. We began corresponding by text, email and even phone calls and soon he made arrangements to come visit. The bond of friendship was almost so instant my wife says it is like we are “brothers from different mothers.”
Time has deepened our friendship. Rides for the MS Society gave us time to spend together on the bike. He lost a dear friend (Lynn) while on an MS ride when an elderly driver plowed into a pack of riders. His wife, Susan, also a lovely lady in her own right, encouraged his involvement in Lynn’s family’s life as well as pursuing 3 Feet Please as much as possible. Dave became an advocate to make it a law in all 50 states to allow 3 feet between a vehicle and a cyclist. So far, most states have passed some type of law; some even passing a 4 feet law. With my experience of being hit, and Dave’s passion for safe cycling, we collaborated with several Indiana legislatures to get Indiana to pass a 3 Feet law.
In February of 2024, Jo and I were their guests in Arizona. It was a first for both of us. We visited Sedona, Scottsdale (where we met a blogging friend of mine), the Grand Canyon, as well as Gilbert (their home) and surrounding communities. Other than our trip to Daytona Beach in 2017 (a timeshare gift) and Alaska in 2019 (a gift of some in the church), it was the first time we had a true vacation with no agenda except relax. It was an oasis for us!!
He is now battling brain cancer (diagnosed within a week or so of our trip in 2024) and I am cherishing every moment he, Susan, Jo and I are spending together. No question things are different. His stamina is not what it used to be. We have eaten out; laughed; eaten out; gone to church together (they normally watch online only this time was in person); and eaten out. I feel intense workouts and watching my diet coming in the near future. 🙂
Dave is my friend and I don’t take that lightly. He is, as Jo says, my brother from a different mother. I’m glad he’s here. Do you have someone you can call a friend?
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Tags: Friendship, Grace, Kindness, Love, Opinion, Reflection, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on March 13th, 2025
“Just follow your heart.”
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. You can’t watch a Hallmark movie or Great American Family without hearing it. You can’t read a self-help book (I will leave them unnamed since I don’t want to publicize them) without hearing that phrase. You can’t go to a high school or college graduation without hearing those words somewhere in the speech. Without a doubt it may be one of the most popular phrases used in our culture.
Last night in my group I call Wednesday Night Conversations, we discussed this phrase. I shared some statistics with them that I thought were quite telling:
- 84% of Americans believe that the “highest goal in life is to enjoy it as much as possible.”
- 86% believe that to be fulfilled requires you to “pursue the things you desire most.”
- 91% affirm that “the best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself.”
(Source: “Don’t Follow Your Heart by Thaddeus Williams-p.xiv)
But, in reality, following your heart is a really bad idea. To follow your heart implies that you take it as seriously as the Christian takes the Bible, the Muslim takes the Koran, or some cult follows its rule book/leader. You must redefine your identity and anything less than full obedience and expression of every subjective feeling of sexual attraction is unforgivable. Anyone who questions you is a bigot, a phobic, a hater, or worse, an “R.” Our ancestors got a lot wrong, like us. But the one thing they got right was that feelings were not the final authority of right and wrong. Why? Simple. Feelings cannot be trusted. You wake up one morning and you feel absolutely great. Your day goes well. You wake up the next morning with a headache to beat all headaches and you didn’t sleep very well. You day goes terribly. What was the difference? How. you. felt. The fallacy in all of this, the unalterable truth the “follower your heart-ers” want us to think, is that deep down we are all basically good. Aaaah yeah. I know myself. I know I rationalize, make excuses, point the finger of blame, and tend to dismiss criticism.
Word to the wise: don’t follow your heart. It is deceptive and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Instead, we need to align ourselves with God’s Word, whether it goes against our grain or not. The TRUTH is not up for grabs or auction. We need to pray that God will give us a new heart (Jer. 24:7), one that will follow His lead and not our own.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Word, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Sin, Story, The Heart, Truth Telling
Written by Bill Grandi on March 12th, 2025
“God says what He means and means what He says.”
So I have heard it told. After reading the story of Joshua and Jericho and the subsequent defeat and ultimate victory at Ai, I would have to agree. The story of both are found in Joshua 5-8, which was my Everyday Gospel (EG) reading for today. Even if you are not taking part in the reading of the EG devotional or in the daily reading associated with it, I’d encourage you to read those chapters sometime today.
Chapter 5 has Israel reestablishing covenant ceremonies with God. There is also an interesting encounter between Joshua and a commander of the Lord’s army.
Chapter 6 is the fall of Jericho. I chuckled as I read the account again and tried to put myself in that situation. The people of Israel walked around the city speechless. Point of interest #1. Point of interest #2 is what the army and the people of Jericho had to be thinking. “Wow. Now that was exciting. They got their daily stretch walk done.” All was fun and games until Day 7 when the people of Israel marched around, shouted and watched the walls come crumbling down.
Chapter 7 is the consequence of disobeying the Lord’s word of not taking anything from Jericho and keeping it for yourself. Little did Joshua know that Achan had stolen articles from Jericho and buried them under his tent. That is, until the army of Israel was routed by the army of Ai. An anguishing, face down inquiry before God revealed Achan’s sin and what was needed to erase the curse.
Chapter 8 is the return trip to Ai and the rout of that city by Joshua and his army.
Chapter 6 contains God’s specific instructions for the defeat and sacking of Jericho. Notice the word specific. Here are some of the words Joshua uses: “completely destroy.” “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction.” “Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” Words clear; no questions.
Except for Achan. 7:1 opens with “But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord.” Achan is specifically mentioned and Joshua is too soon find that out. I go back to the statement I made at the beginning: “God says what He means and means what He says.” I’m snarky enough to ask, “What part of ‘Do not take’ do you not understand?”
We don’t like to talk about God’s instructions. We often see them as stifling, as God being a cosmic killjoy. First, let’s grasp that He says what He means and means what He says. Second, let’s realize that His instructions are there for our good. God has our best interest in mind. Achan and all the Israelites found out God was not playing games. God is still not playing games. We will still reap what we sow.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Consequences of Disobedience, God's Word, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Obedience, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on March 11th, 2025
“Be strong and courageous.”
We might say that to a high school or college graduate who is about to step out into a brand new world.
We might say that to someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis or some other disease that ravages the body.
We might say that to someone about to set out on the adventure of a lifetime-hiking, biking, marriage 🙂 , or opening their own shop.
We might say that to someone who is about to take part in a life-changing event.
Or it is something we would read in Joshua 1 where God has commissioned Joshua to lead the people of Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. “Be strong and courageous…Be very strong and courageous…Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6.7, 9 NLT) Do you think God is telling Joshua not be afraid, to be strong and courageous? 🙂
Courage means different things to different people. I suspect it is determined by the task in front of them. God defines courage as obeying His laws no matter the cost or consequence. He tells Joshua not to stray to the right or left, but to stay on the path. He is to allow it to control his every thought, motive and action. Same with us. It is NEVER easy to follow God’s Word, the laws written down for us to give credence to and follow with all our heart. Anyone who tells you it is easy needs a reality check.
The words to Joshua are good words for us as well. We never know what our day will look like. We can wake up excited to face the day, fully anticipating a day filled with good things only to watch it crumble to pieces shortly after or even before we walk out of the house. So no matter what today brings for you or for me, let’s face it head on with courage and strength that comes from the ONE who told Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” He will give us the strength to face the day and to come out on the other end with courage knowing that strength came from Him.
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Tags: Christian Living, Courage, God's Strength, God's Word, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Strength, Suffering, Trials
Written by Bill Grandi on March 10th, 2025
Remember when?
For a walk down nostalgia lane check out Alan Jackson’s song, Remember When, on YouTube. You can find it here.
Remember. That was the theme which weaved its way through my message yesterday. It was Moses’ swan song and he was reminding the people of Israel not to forget all that God had done for them. It was quite a long walk down memory lane but it was necessary. Here are his exact words: “Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God.” (Deut. 8:11-14 NLT)
Remember what and how you have been blessed and DON’T FORGET where it all came from. Those words could be said to us as well. In our arrogance and pride, we often take the attitude of “Look at what I have built. I’ve done well for myself.” It is like the story Jesus told of the man who looked at all he had acquired and built and said, “I’m going to tear down these barns and build bigger ones. Eat, drink and be merry.” The story goes on with the words, “Fool. Tonight your soul will be required of you.” That story is, sadly, the story of too many people. Gather. Build. Accumulate. Take credit. Forget where it all came from.
My challenge to you (and me) for this new week is to make a concerted effort to NOT forget where it all came from. Develop a grateful heart thanking God for His goodness and grace.
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Tags: Christian Living, God, Gratitude, Humility, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Thanksgiving
Written by Bill Grandi on March 7th, 2025
Back in October of 2003 Alan Jackson recorded a song which described the relationship with his wife and how they made it together through a tough time. I remember when he released that song. The previous months had been tough on them as they had filed for divorce but then backed away from it. I was glad. The song was entitled Remember When. That is the theme of this Sunday’s sermon which focuses on Deuteronomy 8-29. Moses is telling them to remember what God had done for them.
One of the most devastating diseases which strikes the human race is not cancer, although it’s diagnoses is dreaded. ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) or MS are two others. But I think one of the hardest to deal with the loss of memory-Dementia or Alzheimer’s. I read several books last year in an effort to understand it better. It seems to be creeping up more often.
Moses knew people’s knack for forgetting things, especially the good things God had done for them. Being forgetful people gave him an added impetus to remind them of how God had blessed them. These chapters are sort of like a trip down memory lane. We would do well to remember these highlights as well. I invite you to join us in person or via live stream as we take this trip down “memory lane” through the eyes of Moses as he comes near the end of his storied life. We have two services-one at 9:00 and one at 10:45. Please join us. If you are unable to do so, please join us online. You can send a request to join our Facebook Group at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship or view our public page at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, In. Or you can watch via YouTube at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship. I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you online.
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Tags: Reflection, Sermon Series
Written by Bill Grandi on March 6th, 2025
“Forgive as you have been forgiven.” We hear that quite often, more often than we might like! 🙂 But whether you are a Christ-follower or not, forgiveness is one of those non-negotiables that we all must face and need to do. Last night in my Wednesday Night Conversations class we talked about the common lie we hear: “I could never forgive that person.” I would like to share with you 6 common lies we will hear when it comes to forgiveness. The main thoughts come from 9 Common Lies Christians Believe by Shane Pruitt. The editorial comments are mine.
- Forgiveness means you have to forget. Think about the fallacy of this. Something bad has happened in the past or just happened to you. Does that mean you must forget what happened? There is a thing called PTSD that many military vets suffer from. I think many ordinary people do as well, especially when a traumatic event has happened.
- Forgiveness mean you have to be a doormat. Yeah…I’ll just let that person or others walk all over me. There comes a point where you must say, “Enough is enough.” Some relationships are toxic and need cut off.
- Forgiveness means you are condoning the actions of others. “If I forgive, am I saying that what they did is okay?” No. No. And No.
- Forgiveness means we will be close friends again. As if… In Psalm 41 David laments the betrayal of a friend. Sometimes keeping someone at a distance or arm’s length or even removing them from your life is necessary. Can you be friends again? Possibly. But very carefully and very slowly. Nobody in their right mind will just accept a person back into their lives like it once way. But sometimes…No.
- Forgiveness comes from an apology. Some people feel, “Hey, I said I was sorry. That should be enough.” Apologies are not always sincere. Some are said in the heat of the moment or to salve guilt.
- Forgiveness is easy. And you were born under what rock? Forgiveness is neither easy nor hard. It is impossible. It is natural for us to hold feelings of bitterness, hurt, anger (to name a few). Forgiving someone can only be supernatural. It comes from God. I can tell you this: refusing to forgive and holding these feelings in is not healthy spiritually or physically.
There you have it. The only question to ask is “How are you doing in the forgiveness department?”
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Friendship, Grace, Humility, Kindness, Lifestyle, Love, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on March 5th, 2025
I have two thoughts on my mind this morning. I have toyed with writing about one and holding off on the other until clarity (and a calm spirit) comes. But I decided to divide this post into two parts and do them both. 🙂
My first is about the significance of today. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. I grew up in a tradition that did not observe Lent. I can remember being in a high school class and noticing the teacher had a black smudge on his forehead. I almost went up and told him, but didn’t. Now I know it was the fact he went to a Catholic church that morning before school and the priest had “blessed” him. I didn’t know that until years later. Truthfully, I never really heard of it nor knew what it was all about until sometime within the last 19 years or so. I decided to study its history and significance to satisfy my own curiosity. I found out it began on Ash Wednesday and was observed during the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. For some it was a time of fasting and praying, of giving up something for the purpose of discipline. And as is typical, for others it was simply a religious observance you did “just because.” There were several years I quietly observed giving something up for that period of time-caffeine (no Diet Dr Pepper), chips, chocolate, even ice cream one year. For me, it was a discipline to be able to gain control over something that I needed to give up. Honestly, it snuck up on me this year. In spite of what were probably plenty of signs, I missed it until just two days ago. I haven’t decided what to do, if anything, this year. Guess I’ll contemplate that and then decide.
My second thought is on respect. Growing up my parents taught me the importance of valuing others. I learned to say, “Yes ma’m” and “No sir” and other terms used to show respect. I was taught how to open doors for women and to help older folks. I was taught to value other people and their opinions. I haven’t always done it right. I now realize that word I used about another race-despite the fact I grew up near Pittsburgh and had friends of that race and played on the same team as them-was wrong. I refuse to use that word today, even though I hear them use it about themselves all the time. I was always taught to respect my elders and to not speak over others, to give them their due. I did not watch the address President Trump gave last night. I get up at 3:30 and 9;00 is my bed time. Besides, I figure I can always read about it today and will hear plenty about it as well. While I was not a fan of the previous administration, especially due to their war against faith-based organizations and people (among other things), I had to remind myself I was to respect the office and the rulers. As a pastor, I refuse to invite politics into the pulpit. While I might preach on abortion or life (I consider that a moral issue not a political one), I still tried to handle it respectfully, realizing “more flies are caught by honey than vinegar” as they say. The antics and vitriol of some toward the previous administration were uncalled for, as were the antics and vitriol spewed last night and will be today and in the days to come toward the current administration. Will all things be done right? Of course not! Since when are humans infallible? But it’s time to calm the (vulgar) language (by the way: thanks for teaching our kids words they should not know or say). It’s also time for civil discourse, to listen to what the other is saying or trying to say. As my daughter, Tami, says to her kindergarten class: “it is time to put on your listening ears.” I might add that it is also time to clothespin the mouth.
I know what I have said might ruffle some feathers. Personally, Idc, and besides that, I’m tired of the hate and garbage that passes for speech. I once read that “Profanity is the effort of a feeble mind trying to express itself forcibly.” I’m tired of adults acting like spoiled-brat children. Try adulting for a change. That goes for all of us, not just the politicians.
Off soap box. Sorry this post has gone on so long. Thanks for listening.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Humility, Kindness, Leadership, Love, Mercy, Opinion, Reflection, Speech, Story
