Written by Bill Grandi on September 27th, 2023
I took part in an intervention yesterday.
No…not the kind that confronts a family member or church member or a friend who needs help. You know…the one who is drinking too much, or is becoming (or is) addicted to drugs, or the one who is thinking of or has tried self-harm.
Not that kind. I serve as the chaplain for the Owen County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and have since the new sheriff took over in January of 2023. I’m honored to do so. I’ve met some really cool men (sorry, there are no ladies at this point, although they would be welcomed). An intervention takes place after there has been a traumatic event take place involving deputies, first responders, fire personnel…public servants. Sheriff White will usually text me and say, “Bill, we need an intervention. Can we do it on such-and-such a day?”
We’ve had several-each one for a different reason. They are designed for the folks to talk, cry if they want, share their experience, vent, and allow them to heal. It allows me and others to speak life into each other, to facilitate a judgment-free space where honesty and openness are vital.
Sort of reminds me of what the church should be all about. Not necessarily a circle where people sit down and open up (although it could be that), but most definitely a judgment free zone where a person can be open and honest. It goes without saying that we all need each other and I have written about that in other devotions. But Paul’s words to the church in Corinth in I Corinthians 11 about the working of the body are so pertinent. We all need each other. When one hurts we all hurt; when one cries we all cry; when one laughs we all laugh with them.
When the church acts like the church should. we would be surprised at a difference we would make in the lives of others, and there is no telling what kind of healing, help and encouragement will come out of it.
But I’d sure like to see that!
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Tags: Church, Encouragement, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection
Written by Bill Grandi on September 26th, 2023
You have probably heard the joke about 2 friends who were hunting in the woods when they saw a large, mean grizzly bear begin to approach them. One of the men turned to take off running and the other said, “You don’t think you are going to outrun that grizzly do you?” He said, “I don’t have to. I just have to outrun you.”
What a great friend! (I will now remove my firmly implanted tongue in my cheek).
I suspect we have all had friends like that. We call them “fair weather” friends, for that is truly what they are. They are with you until it gets sticky or too hot in the kitchen. Tragically, I have read and know of friendships that fell apart with an accusation, a word behind the back, a betrayal, or simply a lack of trust.
Here are a few questions to consider: When someone says something about a friend, what is your reaction? Do you defend your friend? Do you allow yourself to be swayed, to have some doubt? Do you betray your friend by piling on the accusations or simply by saying nothing at all? I remember many years ago defending a friend (Person A) against accusations made by a coworker (Person B). For the record, we did not work in the same place. It strained the friendship with Person B. Then years later I found out what he said was true. The other man’s (Person A) wife left him; he lost his family; he lost his ministry; and a lot of people were hurt by his duplicity. I apologized for my defense and the breach in our friendship to Person B when I heard the truth.
I honestly did what a friend should do. I heard the accusations from others. I went to the accused and was told they were all lies. I then defended the friend. But sometimes friendship is sticky, especially when you feel like you are in the middle. This time was like that. I don’t regret defending a friend. What I did regret is straining another friendship, only to find out what was being said was true.
Friendship takes work. Friendships are hard. Jesus once said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for a friend.”
Be a friend, even when it gets sticky. I’d rather be loyal to a friend and maybe find out later that trust was misplaced, than walk out on a friend and find out my trust was really needed and the accusations were false.
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Tags: Christian Living, Friendship, Lifestyle, Ministry, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Story, Truth Telling
Written by Bill Grandi on September 25th, 2023
Bryan Johnson is sad.
Not sad as in “Boo-hoo” sad. Not the “cry-me-a-river” type of sad.
But sad as in the “clueless” department.
So you might be wondering, “Who in the world is Bryan Johnson?” (No, I am not talking about the lead singer of AC/DC. Besides, he spells his name with an “i.”) You can Google his name or you can take my word for it in my short synopsis. Bryan was a tech millionaire who sold his BioHacking company to PayPal for $800million. Yeah, you read that right. That’s not a bad thing. I don’t begrudge that at all. More power to him.
Here’s what is sad. Bryan Johnson is on a quest for immortality. You read that right: I.M.M.O.R.T.A.L.I.T.Y. To accomplish that he has some strange habits. He takes 111 pills a day. He goes to bed every night at 8:30 and is up by 6:00. There is nothing in his bedroom besides his bed, except a laser face shield that shoots collagen into his face, and one unmentionable item I’ll let you research. He avoids the sun. He doesn’t go out at night. He drives 16 mph (He would be one who would put me in an early grave if I was following him). He has multiple other habits.
I’ve seen stickers on trucks that say, “Silly boy.Trucks are for girls!” I want to say to Bryan, “Silly Bryan. Immortality is for One.” He believes at age 46 (which he is as I write this) that he has a heart of a 37 year old and the bones of a 30 year old. His goal is to be 18…and to live forever.
Sadly, he is moving in the area of F.U.T.I.L.I.T.Y. There is only ONE who has conquered death and it isn’t and won’t be Bryan.
I hope Bryan learns soon enough, i.e. sooner than later, that he is wasting his time and $2million/year for nothing. Envious? Not a bit. One half of what he is spending is more than I’ll make my entire lifetime. Personally, I hope he learns the lesson of the rich man that Jesus taught about in Luke 12. It says the land of the rich man produced plentifully so he thought to himself, “What shall I do? I know. I’ll build bigger barns. You know…eat, drink and be merry.” But that night God said to him, “You fool! This night your soul is required of you.” What good was his money then?
I sincerely hope Bryan learns sooner than later that one thing is certain: we all die. He won’t cheat that. His money will not get him out of the one date we all will keep. No concoction will save him. There will come a day when Bryan will go the way of all of us. I just hope he finds out before it is too late.
To die in his lost condition? Now that would be sad.
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Tags: Death, God's Plan, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Salvation, Scripture look, Story, Truth Telling
Written by Bill Grandi on September 22nd, 2023
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NASB2020). To go along with that verse is a quote from A.W. Tozer in his book, Knowledge of the Holy: “What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” To combine the two: what we focus on when we think about God will define us.
The buzz saw we run into as we form our thoughts is a teeny, tiny influence called “culture.” (Remove tongue from cheek). Much is said these days that we all worship the same God and that all roads lead to the same place. Is this true? Is it egotistical? Is it sectarian to say that? Is it judgmental?
This Sunday my sermon is going to confront these accusations head on. For the purpose of information the first part of the message is going to show how different faiths represent God. Deism. Mormonism. JW. Scientology. Islam. Hinduism. New Age. And more. I think folks will be rather surprised to see what other faiths believe.
The second half of the message will be a look at Deuteronomy 4:15-40 and see what God thinks of our “idol” worship. One high point I will be bringing out is that Religion is spelled “DO.” Christianity is spelled “DONE.” Religion is based on people doing something; Christianity is based on what Christ has done.
I would love to have you join us in person at 9:00 or 10:45. If you are unable to do so, then please join us online at the same time. We have a Facebook Page and also a YouTube channel. You can access either by going to the church’s website and clicking on the link.
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Tags: Doctrine, God, God's Character, Reflection, Sermon Series
Written by Bill Grandi on September 21st, 2023
One of the knocks against the Bible is that it is so hard to understand. “I tried reading the Bible once. What’s with all the begots and begats? I mean, like who in today’s world uses those words or talks like that that?”
Or here’s another: “I tried reading the Bible once. Who in the world can understand words like justification, sanctification, propitiation, and redemption?”
Granted, sometimes there are some places where the begats and begots get tiring (such is the way of a lineage). And it is true there are some big words used that we don’t understand or use very often (if at all) in 2023.
{Side note: Choose a more modern translation to use like the ESV (English Standard Version), the NIV (New International Version), the NLT (New Living Translation), or the NASB2020 (New American Standard Version 2020) and move away from the KJV (King James Version) with its more archaic language. Just a personal opinion}
But sometimes the Bible is very plain. John 3:16 is one of those verses. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” doesn’t get much plainer. My favorite chapter in the Bible is Psalm 37. Four words stand out at the beginning and they are as plain as the nose on your face:
- Trust (v.3)- Have faith
- Delight (v.4)- Find joy
- Commit (v.5)- Practice surrender (Lay it down)
- Be still (v.7)- Be quiet (Learn patience)
There is more in that chapter! I’d encourage you to dig deeper. Check out, for example, the first three words of verse 8. Or the reality of verse 16. See the refreshing encouragement of verses 23-24. Not only those, but you will find so much more in that chapter.
It is true that there are places the Bible is a bit difficult to understand or to grasp. Archaic words and language are tough to wade through. But the “dig” is worth it. There are so many riches to mine. Start digging!
And by the way: what did you learn from Psalm 37?
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Tags: Bible/Scripture, Deeper Dive, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Truth Telling
Written by Bill Grandi on September 20th, 2023
It was not a pretty sight. In fact, they were a downright mess. Years of fitful care came home to roost. Some of it was DNA. Some of it was a failure to have checkups regularly and proper maintenance. So at the age of 55 I found myself having radical dental work done culminating (I thought) with wearing braces for almost 3 years.
My DNA was not good. Dentures all around, except for my mom whose teeth were not the best (but she still smiled a lot). The shape of my jaw caused me to chew in such a way that I wore off the bottom teeth. Nerves became exposed. Flossing and brushing were not enough to make up for the years of early neglect. The lack of maintenance at the dentist (like none) as I raised two daughters certainly didn’t help. X-rays were needed and revealed a lot. So the process began. Two surgeries to remove one the largest torus mandibularis, aka tori (bone growth) the doctor had ever seen. This tori was between the bottom teeth and had I not been a side sleeper he said I would have probably died in my sleep because my tongue had nowhere to go. Then began the process of pulling teeth, wearing braces for almost 3 years, crowns, implants…well, you get the picture.
It didn’t happen overnight. It took time. And even after the braces came off (I followed the rules religiously), I’ve had other procedures. They are too numerous for me to mention (or to remember!). 🙂
I wear retainers every night to keep the alignment correct. I’m not going to throw over $15k down the tubes because I wish I could go to bed without them. They make me lisp when I talk and dry-mouthed when I wake up.
The life and growth of a Christ-follower is like that. After years of living in sin, of making a royal mess of our life, we find ourselves having radical treatment. It’s called salvation, where sin is dealt with and treatment is done. It takes awhile to learn, understand and respond to the truth of the Gospel, and then there is the ongoing care which lasts a lifetime. There are glitches along the way, but maintenance is still necessary. Prayer. Bible reading. Fellowship. They are all needed for ongoing spiritual health.
Salvation happens immediately when our sins are forgiven. The ongoing growth and maintenance requires the rest of our lifetime.
Where are you in the process?
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Tags: Christian Growth, Christian Living, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Salvation, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on September 19th, 2023
It was the middle of my 7th grade year at Edison Jr High. We moved from 287 Utah Ave to 930 Commonwealth Ave. That might not seem like a big deal to kids these days, but to me it was.
New home. New school district= new school. Say what? You read that right: N.E.W. S.C.H.O.O.L. In the middle of the 7th grade. To my recollection, we had never lived outside the projects. I know we moved a couple of times, but all within the projects and that was for a place with more bedrooms. But always within Emerson Elementary or Edison Jr High.
But this move took me to Homeville Jr High. New school. New teachers. New surroundings. New classmates. Even for this extrovert that was sort of daunting. (It didn’t take me long though to lose any reserve I might have had). 🙂
I remember though, one Spring-like day going up the back steps our of our patio to the upper layer of our yard and walking to the playground at the top of the hill. It had some swings and a couple of hoops. There was someone there who let me shoot around (if you can call it that at that stage of my career) with him. It was soon time for him to leave when an angel in the house next to the playground-who had been sitting on her porch watching-said, “You must be new around here. My name is Mrs. John. Would you like some cookies and iced tea?” Well…yeah! Only I didn’t say it like that. I was taught manners like “Yes m’am.” So began a 5-year cookie and iced tea rendezvous. Sometimes I would play then visit. Sometimes I would just walk up and visit. I went away to college and would still visit on breaks. I graduated and still have the Nave’s Topical Bible (even though it is King James) and the Spurgeon’s Treasury of Psalms she gave me as graduation gifts.
Mrs. John is now with Jesus…for a long time now. I’m sure this angel with the chocolate-chip cookie-open-door policy heard “Well done, good and faithful servant” when she was called home to be with the Jesus she loved so much and exhibited so clearly to a somewhat disoriented 7th grade boy.
Moral: never shy away from sharing-in big and small ways-the heart of Jesus. “Thank you Mrs John for the cookies and tea, and the conversations in your kitchen, on your pack porch, and in your living room. But, most of all, thank you for showing me Jesus.”
Who might you thank for something big or small? Better yet, will someone thank you for your show of Jesus by an act of love?
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Tags: Christian Living, Friendship, Jesus, Ministry, Miscellaneous, Open heart/hand, Reflection, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on September 18th, 2023
Jo and I and our daughter traveled an hour away yesterday afternoon to attend the Celebration of Life of a friend. On August 23rd I wrote about us attending a funeral visitation of a friend. That visitation was on Tuesday, the 22nd. On Wednesday, the 23rd, I made my way to the hospital to visit a friend from that same town who was in the hospice unit. It was a matter of time for her to pass. Both families were tied together by blood and hearts. On Saturday, the 26th that friend went to be with Jesus. Due to various circumstances, they had to wait almost a month to honor their mom.
One of the qualities of this friend people kept talking about was her sweet spirit. I have known her as a pastor and a friend since 1987 and never once did I ever hear a cross word or a bad mouth about anyone come from her lips. In fact, on display by all who knew her and spoke of her was her tender, gentle heart. That heart came from her deep and committed relationship to Jesus Christ. It permeated every part of her. If there was someone of whom it could said “every joint, every bone, every muscle, every fiber of her being was locked on to Jesus,” it would be her.
I think the best words I could say-that I want said about me when my days are done-is that she loved. There is a passage of Scripture which I think sums up Sherri’s life. I’ll let it speak for itself and say the rest of my words:
“Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear…All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph. 4: 29, 31-5:2 NASB2020)
What words would you want said about you if people gather to celebrate your life?
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Tags: Celebration, Funeral tribute, Grace, Humility, Life lived well, Love, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on September 15th, 2023
The high-brow “religious” word for this week’s sermon thought is IMMUTABILITY. Simply put: the word means “Unchangeable.”
With our ever-changing world it is easy to get confused. It is also easy to begin thinking God changes as well. That is especially true when we consider our culture. God established a covenant with His people. Noah. Abraham. The people of Israel. With us. The word covenant means binding agreement. The “owner” of the covenant agrees to certain things if the one signing the agreement sticks with his/her end of the bargain.
But, no matter how you shake it, it still comes down to the unchanging nature of God. J.I. Packer wrote a book back in the ’70s called Knowing God. I’m going to be sharing some thoughts from that book and I thought I would put them here for you:
God’s life does not change.
God’s character does not change.
God’s truth does not change.
God’s ways do not change.
God’s purposes do not change.
God’s Son does not change.
If you would like to hear more then please join us in person or via live stream. You can find the link to our FB page and YouTube page on the church’s website. We offer two services at 9:00 and 10:45.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Doctrine, God, God's Character, Reflection, Sermon Series
Written by Bill Grandi on September 14th, 2023
Without a doubt our world is always changing. Besides the way we operate, other things change. Our morals. Our values. Our standards. Sometimes that is good; most often not so. Post-modernism’s basic philosophy is there are no absolutes. “Whatever floats your boat.” “If it feels good do it.” And so we make up our own rules, sometimes even changing them midstream. We wouldn’t do that playing Monopoly or Backgammon or even Chutes and Ladders. There are rules to follow. And yes, we don’t want to live that way. We want to make up rules as we go along to fit the situation, or even our mood.
One constant in the life of the Christ-follower is that God never changes. He’s not willy-nilly in His dealings with us. He’s not phlegmatic (wishy-washy) in His feelings toward sin. He doesn’t okay it one time and then come down hard on us the next. I know as a parent, even though I tried to be consistent, there were times I wasn’t depending on my mood, my schedule, or even how I felt. But God is consistent.
This coming Sunday I’m preaching on Our Unchanging God. This morning I read the following couple of sentences:
The strength of the covenant God made with Israel (and with all who would believe thereafter) doesn’t lie in our ability to measure up to God’s standards. If it did, we’d all fall hopelessly short. It rests on the unchanging nature of God’s character. {From Refresh Our Hope-Lori Hatcher-p.88)
God made a covenant with Noah; He kept it. He made a covenant with Abraham; He kept it. He made a covenant with the people of Israel of a Messiah; He kept it. He made a covenant with us; He kept it (that is where Jesus come in). God never changes. His character is always the same. His standards are always the same.
As for me? I’ll trust the ONE who is always the same. Always kept and keeps His promises. Said He would never leave me or forsake me. Never fails. Steady as a rock.
Change is good. I’m all for it in most cases. But I prefer a God who doesn’t change.
Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: God, God Unchanging, God's Plan, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Truth Telling
