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October 31

Thursday, October 31st, 2024

If I were to conduct an on-the-street interview and asked, “What is the one thing in common for all people?” I am sure the answers would be many and varied. But the long end of a short story is that I think the answer should be

STRESS

What is stress? Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree.

The definition about says it all. Stress can be a good thing and it can also be a bad thing. Stress can lead some people to take action, like getting their health in line, or getting a project done and over with because “the stress is too much.” A stressful family situation can lead to seeking help to cope.

Stress can also break a person down. I have been to enough hospitals, nursing homes, and inpatient facilities (so far not for myself) to see the damaging effects of too much stress or not dealing with it correctly.

It seems counterproductive then to say, “We want to do a Stress Test on you” to see what happens. I guess you could put that under the “Good kind of stress” category???  On November 11th I am having a long-put-off knee replacement. I will tell that story in another/future post. As part of the prep for surgery they had me come to the hospital and watch a video about the procedure (no gross or revealing pictures were shown) 🙂  and also to have an EKG done and draw some blood.  I received a call a day later that the doctor wanted me to come in for a Stress Test because my EKG was different than the previous one. Well…okay. Since they called while I was at the Y, I called them back to find out what the doctor found and they said, “All he said was he recommends you come in for a stress test since your EKG was different than the last.” Well, that was sure helpful.  (notice the tongue in cheek) I could have told them the young tech taking the test kept fiddling with the probes. But I didn’t. So I have a stress test scheduled for today. No caffeine after 10 last night, i.e. coffee. (No problem. I don’t drink the nasty stuff anyway). No food after 4 hours before.  I understand they will put an IV in and do what? Yeah…they have told me nothing. One thing I won’t do is run on a treadmill. No can do. I suspect they will fill me with dye, race my heart, and see if I light up. The test will last, they say, 3-4 hours. Can you say, “Headphones here I come”?  In preparation I charged them and they are good to go for 26 hours. 🙂

I am making light of this but I know it is essential for a successful surgery. As you can imagine, Jo is concerned. Least I think she is. I know Tami is. She asked me to text her as soon as I know something. Janna, the one who lives in Ohio, is pretty nonchalant about many things. I think she gets that from me. 🙂

I’m asking for your prayers today. Even without a taxing physical regimen, it will be a tiring day I suspect. I know I am in God’s hands. I really am not concerned or worried about this. I am ready for the knee surgery to be over with so I can resume a somewhat “normal” (no comment needed) life.  I’m in His hands and I totally trust His will for me.  “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.” Psalm 18:30-32 (NLT)

October 30

Wednesday, October 30th, 2024

In my daily Bible reading, I began this morning in the book of Romans. Considered Paul’s magnum opus, it is chalk full of truth. All kinds of truth. The purpose of this devotion today is not to give an overview of the whole book, but to give a glimpse into chapter 1.

  • Verses 1-7 has Paul greeting the Roman followers of Christ. He gives some serious doctrinal truth as to who Jesus is.
  • Verses 8-17 has Paul grateful for the Roman followers of Jesus because the love they have for Jesus has spread and others have heard about their love. He gives, perhaps, the most succinct purpose of the Gospel in verses 16-17: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'” (NLT)

But then he lowers the boom. He writes about God’s displeasure with sin-all sin. His approach is multi-pronged:

  1. There are those who disregard God Himself. They deny His existence. I would put them in the “We can’t see Him so He is not real” camp. Paul says they are without excuse. (v.20). He says those who want to think that way are fools. Instead of worshiping a real God, they worship a fake god (images of people, birds, animals and reptiles).
  2. Then comes a very distinct and very confrontational passage: verses 24-27. These are called “clobber verses” because they are used as clubs to confront, judge, condemn and beat people over the head who struggle with SSA. In all honesty, only those who want to justify theirs-or someone else’s actions-can overlook this. BUT…
  3. I am stopped dead in my tracks by verses 28-32. Lest I get arrogant and stand on a self-righteous soapbox, there is a laundry list of sin that condemns us all. We may say, “SSA? Not me!” and feel good about ourselves. But hold on! Look at the list: every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. Then Paul writes, “They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.” As each one is leveled, we start hopping around lest His divine foot stomp nail our feet to the floor and expose our sinful heart.

Short recap I know. There is so much more to say. I simply say: investigate on your own. Read this chapter slowly, all the while asking God to speak to your heart. The message will not only be clear; it is one you cannot escape. I think we all need the message of Romans 1, but I especially am grateful for the simple words about Good News in verses 16-17 (see above).

October 29

Tuesday, October 29th, 2024

One of the most used passages in the Bible is found in I Corinthians 13.  You might recognize it as the “Love Chapter.” It is used in weddings. You find it on home decor, bookmarks, even non-religious items/organizations use it. That’s because “love” is the essence of life. But just seeing it as a warm fuzzy saying is missing out on the real strength and power of that passage. Let me explain.

The Corinthian church was a mess, and when I say a mess, I mean a royal mess. Division. Incest. Compromise of truth. Quarreling over spiritual gifts. Fighting over who was more important and whom they followed. All those and more. There was one thing missing in all of that mess:

L. O. V. E.

In truth, love covers a multitude of sins. but there is one sin that blows love apart. Maybe stifles is a better word. That sin is pride and arrogance. The want and desire for power. I was speaking with someone recently expressing a genuine concern for a mutual acquaintance who has gotten into hot water. People are clamoring for a resignation. Not too long ago this person was the belle of the ball, the prince of the crown.

What happened? Pride. Arrogance. The inability to want or accept criticism. Surrounding oneself with “yes” people. A crushing of dissenting voices. Compromise of values took place and in its place was placed initiatives that devalued people. Sadly, unless there is repentance and a sincere apology and an honest attempt to change, great will be the fall. I’m afraid the arrogance and “what I want” will be so strong that proper steps will not happen and a life will be broken to pieces. Blame will be cast that “I was misunderstood” or “They are too pig-headed to see the big picture.” I’m afraid “I told you so” will be uttered, which will cause even more damage. I hate that because there had been much positive action. But like a lot of things, the past will be forgotten for the present. All because this person wouldn’t heed the loving, warning voices of others.

In case you need a refresher: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful of proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” I Cor. 13:4-7 (NLT) 

Receive it. Learn from it. Give it. Practice it.

October 28

Monday, October 28th, 2024

Where do I start?

Owen Valley Christian Fellowship (OVCF), the church I have pastored (I start my 20th year in November) just celebrated her 20th anniversary yesterday. I will draw your attention to the previous post here to get the story behind the story. My purpose in this post is to share with you some of what happened, but then to tell you where I have been the past two month in my preaching and to tell you how I brought it to a close.

WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY:

  • We saw a lot of volunteers show up to set up and tear down and multiple things in between.
  • We sensed the presence of God as we sang and shared.
  • We heard some testimonies from people as to why they chose OVCF to be their home.
  • We experienced some really, really (did I say really) good food.  🙂
  • We also found out why we are looking forward to being in a larger auditorium that will be big enough for one service.

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THE PAST TWO MONTHS:

The church has a “WELCOME HOME where…” outlook.  That can be seen in the series I just finished preaching:

The Gospel is Preached

Jesus is Honored

Grace is Offered

Lives are Changed

Obedience is Encouraged

Along the way I also talked about love and had messages on Ruth and Philemon. But the key to our ongoing future is being a place where people are welcomed. I concluded the series yesterday with a sermon on Luke 15:11-32 and the parable of the Loving Father/Lost Son. Due to the venue and the presence of tons of children (it is called antsy), I cut things fairly short by emphasizing the love and concern the father showed for his lost son. When he saw his son coming, he set aside all decorum and ran to him, putting his arms around him and welcoming him home. It didn’t matter what his son had done; all that mattered was that he came home. We are that son; God is that father. 

The purpose of home is to be a place of acceptance and love. A place of safety and refuge. Without compromising the truth of the Gospel, OVCF desires to be that kind of home. We aren’t always going to get it right, but we will always try to be the place people can call home.  Would you please pray for us as we continue seeking to put that into practice?

October 25

Friday, October 25th, 2024

“CELEBRATE!” (cue up Rare Earth from the 60s or if you prefer Kool and the Gang)

I normally don’t post on Friday, or the weekend for that matter. But this is big! Huge in fact! I know you are waiting with baited breath to hear what is so important that Bill would break protocol to post on a Friday.

OVCF, the church I have had the honor and pleasure of pastoring for 19 years (I start #20 next month) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this Sunday. 20 YEARS!!! No matter how you look at it that is quite an accomplishment. From starting out with a meeting in a hardware-type building with just a few folks and meeting at several different places in its beginning, the church found a “home” at the Owen Valley Sports Complex, where it was meeting when Jo and I moved here in November of 2005. We temporarily moved to the middle school for a few months until someone got a wild hair to get us out so we went back to the complex. We went back to the middle school when the flood of 2008 displaced us from the complex for about 4 months. In 2010 we bought an unused Mormon church building. We had our first worship in the new facility in September and were excited about the future. In January of 2011 it came to light that over $200k had been embezzled from us. But God was good. I missed one paycheck during that time and it was made up at the next pay period. In 2012 we remodeled our building to accommodate our growth. We knew when we bought the building it was too small and would require an expansion.  In 2014 we hired Ryan East to be our youth pastor. He had been working at IU Credit Union and teaching our youth group. It was a perfect fit! In 2018 we sacrificed expanding the adult worship area for a youth wing. It was a very wise decision. Along with that we became debt free thanks to someone’s inheritance. When COVID hit the generosity of the people never quit. We didn’t miss a beat. In fact, we expanded to offer live stream during that time! We also increased our mission giving.  After finishing the youth addition, we began saving for an expansion on our adult worship area. We have been in two services since 2013 and there is a strong desire for a unified body in one service. Holidays like Christmas and Resurrection Sunday will often find us at the Abram Event Venue to hold all of us at once. But that comes with a ton of inconvenience and limited ministry to the kids (like none).  We have continued saving to be able to build debt free. Along the way we have taken our Easter offering and given it away to missions, giving all of  away unless designated otherwise. We have taken our anniversary offering and put it in the building fund or given away all or part of it to missions as well. God has been more than faithful to us.

So we celebrate Him this Sunday. We celebrate His faithfulness and goodness to us this Sunday. And yes, we celebrate the people of OVCF. They are, after all, the church. Not the building. People have come and gone-some through death, some through moving, and yes, some through discontent. But along the way, God has also brought some exciting people that I’m proud to call friends and ministry colleagues. One of them reads and comments on this blog almost daily-Ryan and his wife, Amanda. Jo and I still see them and go out to eat with them (Chili’s here we come!). People like Ryan have impacted my life in ways they do not know and words fail when I try to express them. Over my 19 years I have seen a lot happen at OVCF and in Spencer. My prayer is that the influence and legacy has been a positive one.

I’ll close this post for now and give an update on our celebration on Monday (Lord willing, of course). Until then, may I ask you to pray for us for Sunday? My deepest prayer, my most fervent prayer, is that in our celebration we will never lose sight of Who is behind it all and to Whom we give all the praise. One of the songs we will be singing, along with Good  Good Father and No Longer Slaves is  Firm Foundation (I prefer the Disciple/Honor and Glory version): “Christ is my firm foundation/The Rock on which I stand/when everything around me is shaken/I’ve never been more glad/I put my faith in Jesus/Cause He’s never let down.”

Amen!

{Note : if you so desire, we are unable to live stream from AEV due to a lack of good internet connection. My message has been prerecorded and downloaded and will be shown at 10:00 Sunday morning on our YouTube channel. It is a shortened version of the live experience but will give you a little bit of a taste of being there}.

One more thing: I did this from home on my iPhone so if you find typing mistakes, blame the phone. 😂

October 24

Thursday, October 24th, 2024

Today is a special day! No it’s not my birthday (that was the 9th). 🙂 No, it is not my anniversary, or a job change, or any event that is a change or marks a change. Today is the day I spend my morning reading to 5 Kindergarten classes.

Several years ago (pre-COVID), the Monroe County UW had a program called Real Men Read (RMR). They extended an invitation to Owen County to be involved. The basis of the program was young children-in this case K kids-need to see men as role models, especially in the area of reading. Many kids have fathers who don’t or can’t read, and as a result these young children were left floundering, especially academically. Why read when my dad doesn’t, or worse, can’t? RMR was born.

I got involved in the program and began reading to one local K class taught by Mrs. Lee. I loved it! And the kids loved me (which I will NEVER complain about)! COVID hit and I still read. We went outside when the weather was good (Fall and Spring); I read inside when the snow was flying or it was too cold. (Mrs. Lee let me go without wearing a mask while I read inside). Fast forward to 2022. I began reading to 3 classes at the school where Tami teaches a K class; one in another district about 12-15 miles away; and two in another district about 15 minutes away. So for one year I read to 6 classes in one month! I loved it! Last year our local school added a K class; I taught 2 in the other district; and in the one furthest away the teacher had her husband read. Very cool!  This year I am teaching to 4 classes in our local school and one in another. The two large K classes have now moved up to the 1st grade.

Today I get to read The Biggest Pumpkin Ever,” a great book about working together. One good thing is our local Curriculum Coordinator was able to secure a Title IX grant which allowed us to buy enough books that each child gets to take home a copy of the book I read that day. They can then continue learning about the joy of reading (and hopefully get some help from home).

Children held a special place in the heart of Jesus. When they were being rebuked and sent away by His own disciples, Jesus put a stop to it. He even used a child as an example when He said, “Unless we have the faith of a little child we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Let the little children come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven.” Children are special. They are to be loved and embraced (in the right way). One of my favorite moments is when I’m done reading and it is time for a group hug. What a joy! Just one more reason I look forward to today! 🙂

October 23

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024

Of all the questions people ask, one of the most frequent is “Where is God when it hurts?” That is put in different way, like “Why do Christ-followers suffer?? or “Why does God feel so far away when I’m going through a tough time?” I’m sure you could add your own variation to that. This morning as I was reading Psalm 13, I flashed back to the first time I ever looked at this psalm in depth. I was in a period of deep questioning-not when it came to where was God- but in my own life’s purpose. It was, and has been, one of the most eye-opening experiences I ever had. I’d like to share that with you today.  I’d like to suggest a Bible and a highlighter (different colors) as you study.

The chapter is written by King David. {Following Scripture is from the NLT}

If God truly forgot David as he says in verse 1a: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?”

Why does he say at the same time that God truly loves him unceasingly in verse 5a: “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me”?

David also says in verse 1 that God hid his face from him: “How long will you look the other way?”

But in verse 6b he says God was good to him: “Because he is good to me.”

In verse 2 David said he struggled (wrestled) with many thoughts and had sorrow in his heart every day: “How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart everyday?”

Yet in verse 6 he sang with joy: “I will sing to the Lord.”

Finally, in verse 2b David said his enemy had the upper hand: “How long will my enemy have the upper hand?”

Yet in verse 5b he says, “I will rejoice because have rescued me.”

How can that be? Is there a discrepancy between the verses? No, actually there isn’t. The difference is between David’s feelings and David’s beliefs.  David felt God had hidden His face from him, but he believed God’s love for Him was unceasing. David felt God had hidden His face from him, but he believed God was somehow good to him.

The same is  often true for us. There is a disconnect between our feelings and our faith. And there you have just one more reason why we should not trust our feelings over our faith. And it is also one more reason why we should not get trapped into thinking “just follow your heart.” Feelings are deceptive.

Follow your faith, not your feelings. Anchor yourself in God’s Word; don’t rely on your feelings.

{Note: my unfailing thanks to Randall Arthur and his book Wisdom Hunter for the insight into this passage. It forever changed my life}

October 22

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024

A common topic of conversation-not only among the elites, but also among common church (and non-church) people-is how Christianity is just one of many ways to God. You have probably heard it just as I have: “You Christians are so close-minded. You think you are the only ones who are right. All roads lead to God.”  In their minds, all religions are the same and none are better than another (unless, of course, you belong to said religion. Then you think you are the only one that is right). The common strain among all is they all have their good points and they all tell us how to get to God or some variation of that.

I beg to differ. While it is true there are many religions (obviously), it is not true that all roads lead to God. It is not my purpose in this devotion to tell why by listing every well-known religion and show why they aren’t. But I would like to sum it up with this: Each religion boils down to the creatures trying to get their god or gods to like them. Hence, the need for works. For alms. For treks to a city. For certain bodily disciplines. Each one is trying to reach up to their god and in the process gain his/her approval.

Christianity is different. Christianity teaches that we don’t have to try to reach up to God. We don’t have to work hard to get God to love us; He already does. We don’t have to work hard to get God to like us; He already does. In fact, God already showed us that! That is the meaning behind the Incarnation-God becoming flesh in the form of a baby. God has already reached down to us. He was fully human and fully divine, died on a cross to pay for our sins and rose again.

The best way for me to put it is the way I once hear it put: “Religion says, ‘Do’; Christianity says, ‘Done.'” Religion says this is what you must do; Christianity says this is what has been done. No matter what we hear from the crowd, there is still only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ, His One and only Son. Faith in Him is the only requirement for salvation. John 14: 6 is still true: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  There is simply no other way to read that. 

October 21

Monday, October 21st, 2024

INCONVENIENCE.

During the communion part of our worship yesterday one of the men talked about Convenience vs Inconvenience. He spoke about having certain conveniences which allow him to fast forward, jack up the speed of playing a video or of simply skipping over what he doesn’t want to watch. His application was appropriate in that he brought it down to the inconvenience of Jesus dying on the cross for our convenience of confessing our sins and being forgiven.

That has got me thinking about the same topic only in a different setting. Several months ago I went to Fresh Thyme and used my debit card and was denied. So I tried it again and ditto. I was confused because I knew I had plenty of money in my account, especially for the amount of purchase I was making. So I checked it and found that someone had hacked into my checking account and had written a check for over $2000 to a credit card company. First, I have no credit cards. Second, I never heard of the company he used my account to pay for. Neither had the bank which I consulted with immediately to dispute the charge. (His payment was denied. I wish I could have been a little birdie to hear what he had to say when the credit card company said his payment was denied. Then again…maybe I don’t). The inconvenience for me was that I had to close that account, open another and alert all those whom I pay online with that account that it closed and give them my new number. Finally, I was done!  Or so I thought…

This past week, an app that is on my computer (and probably yours as well) decided that they were going to renew a charge for the next year. Like of the $100+ variety. Without reminding me that the charge was coming. I got a call from the fraud department (yeah for them doing their job) and I denied the charge. Unfortunately, the bank was unable to stop it. I will have to deal with that. The worst part is…you guessed it…they shut down my debit card. I had to get a new one, all while traveling over the weekend. I’m still waiting. AND I had to go through my bills to make sure any accounts that used my debit card for payment were alerted. What a pain! A necessary one, but it was still a pain. It was an inconvenience, especially when traveling out of state.

Inconvenience seems to be the lot for most of us from time to time. I mean, I’m glad for the bank refusing to pay for fraudulent use of my checking account. The inconvenience was worth it I guess. I’m also glad the fraud department questioned me about two charges-one I approved (Amazon) and the other I refused (but was too late).  Inconvenience is part of life. Mine were minor compared to some. Whether it is something like my experience or something bigger (and there are tons of examples I could give), how we react to them shows the character we have. I was frustrated, for sure, but I also had to remember that my attitude when dealing with people tells a lot about me. Don’t kid yourself into thinking people don’t notice how we react to situations. They particularly take note if we are a follower of Jesus.

Don’t look now. Your attitude is showing.

October 16

Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

See if any of these (or those like them) sound familiar:

  • I sure hope it doesn’t rain today.
  • I hope he isn’t mad at me.
  • I hope my car starts with it being so cold.
  • I hope my team wins.
  • I hope I pass this test.
  • I hope you like what I made.

We say that a lot: “I hope.” So much so that I suspect that it loses its oomph. It also loses its strength of meaning.

Look deeply at hope. At your way of expressing it. Your source for hope. Consider this: we are often so intent on finding hope that we lose sight of the truth that the source of hope is right next to us. Hope will never be found horizontally-at least not the eternal kind that God promises us. God doesn’t just promise hope. God doesn’t just give us hope. He is the SOURCE of hope. In fact, God is hope.

Paul David Tripp in his book, O Come Let Us Adore Him” (yes, I’m reading Christmas devotionals 🙂 ), writes:

“It’s true that hope isn’t a thing; it’s a person, and His name is Immanuel. Celebrate hope this Christmas.” (p.93)

Hope is found in the Christmas message. In fact, it is just one of the messages in the Christmas story. But, in reality, you can have hope all year ’round by focusing-not on people, places or things-but on Jesus. Start your Christmas early (Hallmark has already so you might as well join in) by seeking hope in Immanuel, Jesus, the Son of God.

{Note: There will no devotional tomorrow unless I get a wild hair. Braden, our grandson, celebrates his 18th birthday tomorrow as well as Senior Night on Friday as a member of the Worthington Kilbourne football team. We will be in Ohio starting today through Saturday celebrating him and getting to see our daughter and Mike, her significant other. Prayers would be appreciated for safe travel}