InTheShadow
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Monday, May 4th, 2026
“Keep looking ahead.”
If you have ever run track (not here) or ever watched it (yep), you will notice the best runners never look around. They look straight ahead.
Proverbs 4:20,23-27 are interesting verses. Here they are for you:
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words…Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (NLT)
As you probably guessed it, the verse that says, “Look straight ahead…” is the one that caught my attention this morning. So many followers of Jesus (myself included) often get sidetracked. Instead of keeping my eye on what is ahead, I start with the roaming eye and swivel head. Coaches and runners will both tell you how dangerous it is for a runner to start looking around. It is easier to stumble. It is easier to worry. It is easier to miss someone passing you over the other shoulder. It is common to lose speed. It is also common to be overtaken.
Just like in life. Keep your eyes peering straight ahead. Don’t look around. Don’t get sidetracked. The writer of Hebrews gives some good wisdom: “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slow us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1-2a NLT) Keep looking ahead!
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Tags: Christian Living, Jesus, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look
Thursday, April 30th, 2026
Many of us speak out boldly and excitedly when we are discussing our favorite sports team, a hobby of ours, a person we really think highly of, someone we love, or a myriad of other topics. But there is one topic we become strangely silent on and shy away from…
…telling someone about Jesus.
That thought struck me this morning as I read Romans 10:9-10,13 and 14-15,17. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved…For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (9-10,13). “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless some tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scripture say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’…So faith faith comes from hearing, that, hearing the Good News about Christ.'” (14-15,17) {Scripture from NLT}
As I follow those verses, the first three speak of coming to Christ for salvation. The latter three speak of someone making the message known. I know the common excuse: “I can’t. I’ll live a good life in front of them.” That’s good…to a point. But there are many who live good, moral lives but are not Christ-followers. So the message of salvation never gets told or is confused by “Don’t worry. Be happy. Treat others right. Be moral.” Sadly, the life-changing, life-transforming message of Christ is left out of the equation. As the latter 3 verses tell us someone has to say something! As verse 17 says, “Faith comes by hearing” but not just any words, but “hearing the Good News about Christ.”
Being a silent witness is good…to a point. Our actions do need to match our words or form the foundation of credibility when we do say the words. But it is still important that we speak when the need arises.
We all need to wear sandals. (v.15)
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Tags: Christian Living, God's Plan, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sharing Jesus, Speaking out, Story, Truth Telling
Wednesday, April 29th, 2026
Question: when an atheist gets mad about life’s circumstances, who does he get mad at and blame?
In the area of full disclosure: there have been times I have gotten angry with God. I’m guessing you have to. Now…ask that above question again. 🙂
When Elie Wiesel survived the Holocaust, he came out with no faith. He couldn’t grasp God’s seeming disregard and indifference toward His people, the Jews. How could the God of his childhood-who loved the Jews-allow such an atrocity? That’s a fair question. After a faith struggle, Elie eventually said, “It was because I believed in God that I was angry with Him.”
Again…the question. Who do they blame? “I blame God.” But you said…
Getting angry with God is not uncommon. Jeremiah. David. Job. Moses. And more. How many time in Psalms does one read about David’s anger with God? “How long, O Lord, how long?” “Where are you God?” Job accused God of being cruel. Moses often lamented God’s patience with the people of Israel. I once heard that 1/2 the time Moses wanted to wipe out the people of Israel and God said no; the other half it was God wanting to wipe them out and Moses saying no.
I admit I’ve been angry at God. Injustice in a courtroom, for example. (I saw a different side yesterday. 🙂 ) Ironically, it was often my own fault for the trouble. God was the convenient One to blame.
But you know what? I believe God is okay with me expressing my anger. His shoulders are big enough. He’s even more thrilled when my anger brings me back to His arms…even if I blame Someone others claim does not exist. Again…the question.
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ “ (Psalm 14:1)
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Tags: Atheism, Belief in God, God, Opinion, Perseverance, Questions, Reflection, Story
Tuesday, April 28th, 2026
Death is the great equalizer.
I know. Sounds morbid. But please hear me out. First, a history lesson.
You may have heard the story about the Great Plague that infected London in the 17th century. It began in May 1664 with a few cases. One year later in that same month, 590 cases were reported. By June the number had swelled to over 6000+. Panic ensued when over 17,000 cases were reported in July, and by August the number was 31,000. By the time it was brought under control, more than 70,000 Londoners had been burned or buried. They now know it was carried by fleas which had bitten diseased rats. Back then, people thought the bad smell was air pollution so they carried posy petals in their pockets to ward off the disease. Hospitals even walked their patients around rose gardens hoping to cleanse their lungs with the flower’s fragrance. You may know that it was during this time the children’s nursery rhyme was born: “Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posies, ashes ashes we all fall down.”
We could say the disease spread because of misdiagnosed causes. I don’t fault them. Look how things spread in 2026 and we have much more up-to-date medical methods.
I believe it is also spot on to say that even those who escaped the death of the Black Plague died eventually. Dead is dead. And as I said at the very start: The death (the grave) is the great equalizer. Brian Johnson included, we will all find our way there some day. No matter how many vitamins or supplements we take. No matter how much we work out. No matter how much sleep we make sure we have. No matter how much of a controlled environment we live in. We will all taste death.
For some that is bad news. In spite of the efforts to say, “There is no heaven or hell,” I’ll stake my claim on the Bible’s words: “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.” It also says, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged.” Accept it or deny it. The choice is yours.
I’ll conclude with this: What if I am right and you are wrong? If you are right and I am wrong, I have lost nothing. However, if I am right and you are wrong, you have lost everything. Do you really want to take that chance?
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Tags: Choices, Death, God's judgment, God's Plan, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Monday, April 27th, 2026
My blogging friend, Glynn Young, blogs at Fact, Fiction, Friends. This past weekend he wrote the following and posted it:
We are the same
After James 2:1-13
We are poor,
we are rich,
we are noble,
we are common,
we are black,
we are white,
we are the church.
We are educated,
we are illiterate,
we are titled,
we are born low,
we are uptown,
we are ghetto,
we are the church.
Within the church,
we are the same,
Within the church,
we are equal.
Within the church,
we are equal before God.
We are the church.
I believe Glynn has hit the nail on the head. For the next 2-3 months I will be preaching on the book of James and I guarantee this will used in the sermon on James 2:1-13. The church is to know no racism, classism, or culturalism. All those are part of a thing called FAVORITISM. Making judgments based on those three factors is dead wrong.
{Shameless plug: Glynn has written several books that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. One 5 book series is called The Dancing Priest. It is a wonderful series starring Michael Kent Hughes, his ultimate wife, Sarah, and his family, as Michael becomes the king of England and fights the corruption in the Church of England and his government. I have read them all at least 3 times (the earlier ones more). He has also written a fine fiction book called Brookhaven. Based on his research into his family history, Glynn brings alive characters from the Civil War. I have read it twice and only a shortage of time has prohibited me from writing a review. You will not be disappointed if you choose to read either The Dancing Priest series or the stand alone book: Brookhaven}.
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Tags: Christian Living, Church, Favoritism, Kindness, Leadership, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story
Friday, April 24th, 2026
For the past two months I have been preaching a series I called The Road to the Other Side. It started in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and encompassed events in the life of Jesus surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection and beyond. This Sunday is the last in the series and the topic is the ultimate: death and eternal life (heaven). I, personally, have relished focusing on Jesus the past two months as I looked at the Lord’s Supper; the crucifixion; the resurrection; the command to His disciples to “Go!”; the rise of the church; the impact of the church; and this final one on death and heaven. What better end can there be than heaven…if you are a follower of Christ? My Scripture will 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Ezekiel 1:4-28; and Revelation 21.
I start a new series next week I am calling The “Perfect” Christian and it will be a two month series on James. I’m looking forward to preaching through a book. I’ve already been working on the sermon and it is exciting to me. I’ll keep you posted as I move into the series. I can already tell you the first sermon is Troubled by Trials and the second is Tripped by Temptation. 🙂
Anyway, thanks for putting up with my rambling in this post. This coming week I hope to share some of the thoughts from this week’s message in this blog. Until then, I would love to have you join us in person at 9 and 10:45. If you are unable to do so, please join us via live stream at the same time on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel. We would be honored if you would join us. And please, leave us a note saying you were there. If you can’t do any of the above, please pray for us.
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Tags: Death, God's Plan, Heaven, Opinion, Reflection, Sermon Series
Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
“I can do it myself.”
Ever heard a toddler say those words? It’s not unusual hearing those words from one is it? That toddler is trying to exert himself and his independence. It’s not too far off to say we will hear those words from stubborn teens or cranky adults who don’t want assistance or help from anyone. They are basically saying, “I don’t need/want your help. I can do it myself.”
This Lone Ranger mentality is, at times, a good thing. We want people spreading their wings and doing tasks on their own. But at the same time it can be a dangerous attitude. It can lead to isolationism, and even trouble.
In Exodus 17 we find two stories. One is Moses striking the rock to bring forth water. (This is the not the one that got him in trouble with God). The other story is when the Israelites fought the Amalekites. During battle Moses went to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield. With him were Joshua and Hur. As long as Moses held up his staff the people of Israel would be winning; drop his arm out of fatigue and they began losing. In Moses’ hand was the staff of God. Eventually, Joshua and Hur each held up an arm and the Israeli army prevailed. While Moses could have said, “I can do this” (thankfully he didn’t), he needed Joshua and Hur to hold up his arms.
We all need Joshua’s and Hur’s. The power of the Israelite army was not just because Moses held up his arms and they saw he was there. The staff may have inspired the Jewish army, but more importantly, the staff “spoke” to them of God’s presence.
We may be stubborn and think we need no help. Nothing could be further from the truth. We may even win a skirmish here and there, but in the long run success in battle comes from living and trusting in the presence of God. “It is not by force nor by strength, but my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (Zech. 4:6 NLT)
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Tags: Christian Living, God's Presence, God's Strength, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026
Gathering a few (not so) random thoughts from the last chapter of This Was Never the Plan by Vaneetha Rendall Risner (subtitled: “Walking with God Through the Heartache of Divorce”).
On waiting: “God’s timing is precise, not random, and He will not let us wait even a moment longer than necessary.” (p.139-140). My take: God is seldom early, but He’s never late.
On Satan’s influence: “Satan’s goal is always the same: to push us from God.” (p.141). My take: Satan’s goal has been and always will be to get us to stumble, thereby, destroying or hindering our testimony.
On permission: “God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.” (Quote by Joni Eareckson Tada-p.143). My take: God’s purpose is the opposite of Satan’s (see previous thought). God’s goal is to always bring about good, not evil.
On finishing: “God’s story never ends up ashes.” (Quote by Elizabeth Elliot-p.146). My take: God is an expert at taking the ash heap of our lives and making something beautiful out of it.
One final one: a writing by ulli-Kaye called fires.
“and if you have ever been abandoned, be a constant. if you have ever been wrapped up in nights so dark, you could not find your way back home, be light. if you have ever fallen apart in a thousand, fractured pieces and wondered where on earth everyone has gone, be present. if you have ever felt unworthy. unbeautiful. unseen. unknown. unheard. be love. i tell you the truth. some of the most precious things we learn, are from the fires we’ve endured.” (p.137-138) {Note:written exactly as she wrote it}
I hope these thoughts stirred your heart this morning. They did mine last night. Which one touched you the most? (I highly recommend this book-divorced or not. For the one who is or has been it will be a game changer).
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God, Grace, Humility, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Random quotes, Reflection, Story
Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
“Do as I say not as I do.”
We see it all the time. I read Romans 2:17-24 this morning: “You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, ‘The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.’ ”
I know this is a long passage, but it speaks of something I have trouble with-both with myself and others:
HYPOCRISY. OF. THE. HIGHEST. ORDER.
Now, I realize contextually Paul is speaking to Jews who don’t keep the Law they preach about, so please understand I am using this text as a “jumping off” point to make a point. I’m not trying to spiritualize a text to make it say what I want it to say. What Paul is writing about is hypocrisy. Those who say, “Don’t! but then “Do.” It’s like they are saying, “The Law says, ‘Don’t steal,’ so don’t you steal! But it’s okay for me to steal.” It’s like the father who says, “I am a Christ-follower” but then uses some of the most vile words (“F” word) about his daughter and calls his son the “p” word, all to show his superiority or express his anger. He instead shows his smallness and lost condition. Paul says the Jews’ hypocrisy gave “permission” to the Gentiles to blaspheme God’s name.
It’s no wonder! How can we expect others to honor God and revere His Name when we ourselves don’t? The same goes for human fathers and their children. How can we expect them to respect us and honor and revere God’s Name when we put them down with vile words and use His name in vain? May I suggest that the next time you speak, consider what you are saying? You may call me narrow-minded (and that’s okay with me), but such vile language has no place in the Christ-follower’s vocabulary.
Yeah…hypocrisy of the highest order. As Paul says elsewhere, “These things ought not be.” Avoid it with everything in you.
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Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Word, Humility, Hypocrisy, Kindness, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Speech, Vile words
Friday, April 17th, 2026
I know. Weird title, especially for a sermon. 🙂 I went old school and tried to alliterate my titles with using an “S” description of “Savior.” This one was a tough one to figure out. Why? Because this is about the church. My thoughts:
Almost 2 years ago I preached a series I entitled Feels Like Home. It was a series of a dream of mine: that OVCF, the church I have pastored for almost 21 years (November), would always feel like home to people. I am planning on preaching that series again (with some slight changes) in September and October. (October is our church’s anniversary. We will be 22 years old). I have several reasons for preaching it and the main one is we hopefully will be in our new addition and it concerns me that we would lost sight that people need a home and they need to feel like church is a home.
The message this Sunday is about the church being a family, one that presents a beautiful picture to those outside our four walls. We are not islands. We are not lone rangers. We need each other and the passage in I Corinthians 12 highlights that fact. I’m going to shape the message around the church as a frame and then as a beautiful picture within that frame. I hope you will join us in person if you are able to. Our service times are 9 and 10:45. If you are unable to come in person, please join us via live stream on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel. We would be honored if you would join us. And please, leave us a note saying you were there. If you can’t do any of the above, please pray for us.
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Tags: Church, Friendship, Opinion, Reflection, Sermon Series
