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Tuesday, March 10th, 2026
“It is impossible to excuse, deny, or minimize your sin without telling yourself that you do not need the grace of God.” (Journey to the Cross-Tripp-p.121)
As I continue making my way on a daily basis through Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp, I keep reading gems like the one above. Trying to bring my focus to the cross and resurrection during this season has been beneficial to my spiritual life. If nothing else, it is showing me how lax I have been. I know that may sound strange coming from a pastor, but we are only humans and therefore subject to the same foibles others have. Today’s devotion was on what we do with our sin when we come to the realization of it in our lives. I am a big proponent of grace, but not grace at the avoidance of guilt and sin. Let me explain using his four thoughts on what to do with our sin.
1. Excuse it. One of the hardest things to do is to admit we are wrong. I have heard often the words, “Well, if only they hadn’t….” “If only she hadn’t dressed so provocatively.” “If only he hadn’t been so insulting.” So we try to justify our sin by seeking to excuse it. We need to acknowledge our need for God’s grace.
2. Deny it. “Who me? I didn’t do that.” Denial, in my mind, is a “cheat” mechanism. I can justify what I have done by simply saying, “Not me.” Denying our sin short circuits our relationship with God and with each other. Nothing good ever comes out of denial.
3. Minimize it. “But my sin is not as bad as so-and-so.” Or we might speak about how it could have been worse if I had gone ballistic like I wanted to. Another side of this is when we minimize the result. “Well, it could have been worse if I had really taken a different approach.”
4. Confess it. Being blunt: this is the only and best option for the Christ-follower. Becoming more like Jesus means being honest with ourselves before Him. Realizing our sin is a reproach to His holiness. Heartfelt confession means you take responsibility and accountability for what you said or did. Not passing the buck. Not denying it. Not minimizing it. No shifting the blame. The finger is pointed at the face in the mirror.
As you face your sin, especially as we get closer and closer to Good Friday and the crucifixion, be honest with God and with yourself. I’m looking hard into the mirror myself.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Confession, Forgiveness, God's Plan, Grace, Humility, Jesus, Opinion, Prayer, Reflection, Sin, Story, Surrender
Monday, March 9th, 2026
“Count your blessings, not your blastings.”
“Count your blessings, not your complaints.”
“Count your victories, not your vanity.”
“Count your graces, not your grumblings.”
“Count your highs, not your lows.”
Yeah…I know…I stretched it a little. 🙂 I’m sure I could come up with more, but…
One good way to silence the complaints and complaining that seems to fill our lives is by sitting down and recording all the good things, all the blessings that fill our lives. I know if I sat down with a pen in hand and a notebook in front of me, I could fill pages with all the blessings God has given me.
Tragically, it seems more natural for me/for you to be ungrateful, or to simply fail to even acknowledge it was from God. My tendency is to forget or fail to say thanks, which leads to…you guessed it…complaining. Talk about a vicious cycle! For me, to get into the “complaining mode” leads me to turn away from the goodness of God or to take it for granted. Ironically, focusing on the goodness of God leads me away from complaining into praising. Go figure. 🙂
Grumbling about life and life’s circumstances leads to drifting and forgetting and ingratitude. Here is a challenge for all of us: take some time today to write down blessings from God. Do what the old hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” It will also turn our mourning into dancing.
Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: Blessings, Christian Living, Complaining, Gratitude, Grumbling, Opinion, Reflection, Thanksgiving
Friday, March 6th, 2026
By instruction and example Jesus instituted two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Neither are electives. It’s not ala carte. You know: “I’ll pick this one, but not that one.” It should be pretty obvious which one best relates to this season. While baptism is part of God’s plan and is important enough to be included in Jesus’ final words to His followers, the Lord’s Supper was the meal Jesus was observing with his followers in the Upper Room.
After Judas had been vanquished by his own greed and guilt, Jesus and the other 11 disciples, continued observing the Passover Meal. It was during this meal that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, telling the disciples to continue this ordinance after He was gone. Tragically, weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper often becomes a meaningless ritual. My hope and desire for this message is for the Lord’s Supper to take on a deeper meaning and not drop into the “meaningless ritual” territory or into the Corinthian church fiasco.
I’d like to invite you to join us in person if you are able to. If not please join us via live stream at 9 and 10:45. You can access our live stream at YouTube (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship) or on our Facebook page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN).
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Tags: Church, Lord's Supper, Sermon Series
Thursday, March 5th, 2026
Have you ever been so locked into seeing things a certain way that you are blind to another?
Let me give you 2 examples-one personal and one Scriptural.
For many years I was locked into one interpretation of a doctrinal position. That doctrine is not important to mention at this point. For over 20 years, maybe more, I staunchly defended, argued, and even wrote off those who didn’t agree. Then two events changed that. One was the death of Keith Green (an early Christian music pioneer), and the other was when I met myself in people and didn’t like what I saw. Narrow-minded. “We are right; you are wrong; and we will argue with you about it.” (Direct quotation from their mouth). I despised that picture. I’d like to say I baled quickly, but that would not be true. It was a slow process until I finally said, “I’m done.” I left that camp and position and haven’t looked back (except in repentance and disgust).
The other example is in Mark 12. The Sadducees, who didn’t believe in the resurrection, asked Jesus a resurrection question. It was about a man who had 7 brothers. The Law said if he died his widow was to marry that man’s brother. After she out-lived all 7 brothers and died, who would she be married to in the resurrection? Keep in mind these guys didn’t even believe in the resurrection. Jesus saw through their facade and called them frauds.
They were locked into a certain interpretation and missed the point. Knowing the Scripture is important, it is the key to experiencing God’s power. But sometimes we miss it by being locked into a certain interpretation. I was set free when I saw the dead end of my legalistic doctrine/interpretation of Scripture. Life comes when we open our eyes to the Word and its truth.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, Doctrine, God's Word, Humility, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story
Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
“God is a cosmic killjoy. He only wants to take the fun out of life.”
I’ve heard it and I suspect you have as well. It is usually stated by someone who thinks fun is found in the unlimited and unfettered living without rules. Or guide lines. You know how that goes: “I want to live my life, my way, my rules.” May I say bluntly: that is the way to ruin and misery?
This morning I read the following:
Of all the lies proclaimed in the world around us, one of the most widely believed is that any limits imposed on personal freedom amount to oppression. This is perhaps most clear in the realm of sexual morality, where the only thing off limits seems to be the setting of limits itself. The tragic irony is that this so-called freedom is in truth bondage to sinful desires, and it results not in wholeness but in broken bodies and broken hearts. (Truth for Life-Alistair Begg- Volume 2- p.69)
I put a big “True” in the margin. In fact, I certainly can’t state it any better or clearer. Our culture lives in direct opposition to that truth. We THINK that if we have an unfettered lifestyle, where there is no right or wrong and no one to tell us there is, that we will be better off. We will be free to go our own merry way. God? Who needs God? He just tells me what I am doing is wrong! Here’s the thing: if God is saying something is wrong and wants us to avoid it, He is telling us for our good. He knows the heartache and the headache that will come if we choose to follow our own way. But like so many other things: we think we know better. So we call Him the “cosmic killjoy” and then move on to our empty life that will only end in disaster (or hopefully an awakening to truth before we fall big time). Can we really justify calling God a cosmic killjoy when we see drug addiction, and alcoholism, and gambling addiction, and porn addiction, and other controlling actions spiraling out of control in our lives and in our culture?
I think not. While it may appear that God is taking or trying to take all the fun out of life, He actually loves us too much to let us go off on our own without some type of warning or guardrail. I hope you will see Him as a loving Father who cares deeply for you.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God, God's Word, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Sin, Story
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026
“Confession is good for the soul.”
If I’ve heard that once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. I suspect you have as well. It is true, you know? I can’t count how many times I have withheld confession of sin and hurt from God and others thinking it will be okay not to say anything, only to find out it is worse. One word enters the picture at this point: M.I.S.E.R.Y. The longer I failed to confess my sin to God, and the longer I denied I hurt someone (and didn’t ask forgiveness), the more miserable I got. Hiding or denying my sin from God was never a good option. He already knew anyway. And the longer I avoided telling someone I was sorry, the greater the distance grew between us.
But plain and simple: confession is good for the soul. The who is blessed is not the one who doesn’t sin (as if), but the one who confesses that sin. To God. To others.
Psalm 120:1-2 are two interesting verses. The NLT translates it: “I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people.” But the CSB gives it a slightly different angle: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. ‘Lord, rescue me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.’ “ While the NLT seems to give it form the perspective of “protect me from others,” the CSB can almost be taken from the perspective of “protect me from myself.” Maybe both are right? We need protected from others AND we need protected from ourselves.
Let’s just put it this way: whether speaking of God, of others, or ourselves, confession is good for the soul. No hiding. No fudging. No him-hawing. Life is found at the end of confession.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Confession, Friendship, God, Humility, Lifestyle, Love, Mercy, Opinion, Reflection, Sin, Speech, Story
Monday, March 2nd, 2026
Are you a fixer?
You know what that is don’t you? A fixer is a person who thinks they can fix everyone’s life. You know the person. Someone confides in them and instead of listening, they are stirring the brain waves to figure out how to fix that other person’s life, circumstances, challenges-you name it. It is maddening at times, especially when all you want is for someone-anyone-to just listen. But no, the fixer tells you how you can “fix” your life and make it better.
I have often told people-from the pulpit and in person- that it is not my place to fix them. It is God’s place to do that through the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life. I’m going to flip that for a moment and make it more personal (in the hopes that you will see my point better). Let’s suppose I am talking to you about situations/challenges in my life that I am just seeking to have another perspective or another “ear” to just let me bounce off some thoughts. But your mind is churning with answers and advice. And sadly you aren’t really listening to me. You want to “fix” me. But you simply cannot do it. You simply cannot change me. Whether I’m right or wrong, the power to change is not in you. Several days ago I read the following from Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp:
You could not work changes inside me that would ensure that not only would I never do the same thing again, but I would treat you with a deeper love and respect and have a fresh commitment to give and to serve. You can forgive me, but you are not able to change me. What you did for me was wonderful and kind, but because you are human and limited, it is not enough. The cross of Jesus Christ not only does the first two things for us (forgiveness and reconciliation), but it also does the third thing for us (change). (p.68)
And that’s my point. No matter what you do for me; no matter what I do for myself; it is never enough. All human efforts at change will falter. All the resolve fades. Real change can only take place when God is allowed His rightful ownership of our lives. The way to start making changes is for submission and surrender to SOMEONE who knows you better than you know yourself.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Change, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God, God's Plan, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Salvation, Story, Surrender
Friday, February 27th, 2026
My theme for 2026 is Still the ONE! My theme for this next series of sermons is The Road to the Other Side.
The road to Easter (Resurrection Sunday) is paved through the Old Testament, especially the words of Isaiah. The death of Jesus was not a last minute thing. It didn’t catch the Father or the Son off guard. The road to Calvary was not an easy one…BUT A NECESSARY ONE! Isaiah, though not as an eyewitness nor as complete a view as the 4 Gospel writers, still gives us a pretty stark view of what Jesus faced. The prophecies of Isaiah could only find their fulfillment in Jesus. The description in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is as graphic as it gets when describing the crucifixion over 400 years later. This first message will be the beginning in a series designed to bring us front and center to the road on the other side of the cross.
Many people have a false view of what Jesus looked like, and maybe even of what he went through on His way to dying for us. We have glamorized the cross with beautiful jewelry and pretty pictures when the reality is much uglier. I’m not sure any passage in the Bible paints a better picture than Isaiah.
After a week visiting a friend in Arizona, I can’t wait to be back with the people I love and look forward to seeing. If you are not part of OVCF I would like to invite you to join us in person or via live stream at 9 and 10:45. You can access our live stream at YouTube (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship) or on our Facebook page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN).
Posted in InTheShadow | 2 Responses »
Tags: God's Plan, Jesus, Reflection, Scripture look, Sermon Series, Story
Thursday, February 26th, 2026
Only in Indiana!! I woke up to these huge snowflakes falling and snow covering the cars, walks and roads. So I’m a bit behind. I’ve already had a schedule change. That being said, here is my devotion for today:
“Let me tell you what I heard.”
And so it begins. And the one of whom we are speaking will be fortunate if we don’t embellish, slander, pour it on so thick that we might as well be pouring molasses over them.
We read often in the Scripture of what is called in some translations “a bad report.” Joseph brought a “bad report” to his father about his brothers (and we know how that ended). Ten of the 12 spies brought a “bad report,” effectively negating the good report of Joshua and Caleb. Pr. 10:18 says, “…slandering others makes you a fool.” I understand the Hebrew word for “bad report” and “slander” is the same word for “gossip” and in Pr. 31:13 “conspire.” (NLT)
The smearing of reputations is not limited, sadly, only to those who live in a competitive, cutthroat business world. One could only wish that dark side of relationships never touched the lips of the follower of Jesus, or the side he proclaims to be on. But we know better. We have all seen the devastation that dragging through the mud and telling lies and half-truths has brought. It’s ugly. And Satanic. He has been a liar from the beginning and he hasn’t slowed down or shown any mercy. His goal is to gather more adherents. Use the word “disciples” if you prefer. But really, if he can destroy one life-and multiply that as time goes on-he can score big victories.
We can do tremendous good or unspeakable harm with our speech. I’d like to suggest that two verses from Psalms be something we say daily: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (19:14) The second: “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.” (141:3-4) (Both Scriptures from the NLT)
Ready to give it a try?
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: "Mouth" commitment, Christian Living, Humility, Kindness, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Slander, Speech
Wednesday, February 25th, 2026
Amazing Grace, Again and Again.
That is on my mind this morning. One of God’s attributes that continually blows me away is His penchant for showing GRACE. Someone once asked me what the definition of grace was and how was it different from mercy. I explained it this way:
Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
It is the latter that gets my focus this morning. One of the most popular songs, which has been sung by church choirs, as well as “secular artists,” is the song Amazing Grace. The story of John Newton, the writer, is a story in and of itself. But that is for another time. I, for one, am continually made aware of my need for grace each day. I think my life/your life can be wrapped up in this saying:
I was saved by grace; I am being saved by grace; I will be saved by grace.
That, my friends, is what it all comes down to. I have absolutely nothing to bring to the table that will say, “Here I am God. I have done this and that. That should count for something.” Nope. Doesn’t work that way. It is either all grace or it comes down to works and the Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph. 2:8-9 NLT) It really doesn’t get much clearer than that!
What has also brought my attention to this subject is a song I was made aware of about 2 weeks ago. On my Spotify app a random album under the heading “More Like _______” was a group called Ashes Awaken. I looked at the profile and decided I would listen. The song Amazing Grace, Again has just stuck with me. I like a certain style of music and this struck a chord with me. I know it is not for everyone but if you would give it a listen, I think you will see it is my story. It is your story. The video has the lyrics, just be patient with the cheesy AI part. Here is the video. (The band is a real band from PA not AI generated).
Remember as you go through your day today: you are a recipient of God’s amazing grace. You are loved beyond comprehension.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Forgiveness, God, God's Plan, Grace, Opinion, Reflection, Salvation, Sin, Story
