In the Biblical book of Ruth, the primary characters are Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. One lesser-known person is Orpah, Naomi’s other daughter-in-law, who returns to Moab. After the death of her husband and both of her sons, Naomi decides to return home when she hears there is food in Israel. As she departs, her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, are told it is okay for them to return to Moab to find husbands and build a future. At this, Ruth gives a beautiful speech about never leaving her, and Orpah weeps and then leaves.

Rabbinic tradition states that Orpah was not welcome in Moab, so she went to the land of the Philistines. There she remains unmarried but gives birth to six sons. All those boys were killed during the time of King David, with the most famous being Goliath. While there is no Biblical evidence of this, Jewish tradition paints her as a person who rejects God and whose family paid the price.

While it is fascinating to speculate what happened to her, what we are actually told in the story offers its own powerful lesson. Naomi was walking through a dark season with the loss of her immediate family. And when she was at her lowest, seen in her return home without family or financial gain, one of the two closest people in her life abandons her.

There are two things I want you to notice. First, in your darkest hours, people will leave you. It is inevitable. We must build our lives on our faith in God, not on the people closest to us. Second, it would be easy for Naomi to focus on Orpah rather than on Ruth. She could have spent the rest of her life filled with bitterness and hatred toward the person who abandoned her. She could have become pessimistic. Her life could have been shaped more by whoever left than by whoever stayed.

I am sure you have experienced pain in your life and watched people leave you behind. How did that impact you? I am also sure there was someone who stood beside you when all others left. How did you treat them?

Be sure to focus your attention, express your gratitude, and let your attitude be shaped more by the people who stay than by those who leave. Orpah’s story hurts, but Ruth gives life. Thank God for people like that.

If you attended worship with a Church yesterday, I sincerely hope you learned something. It might have been in a Sunday school class, a sermon, a small group, or a conversation. Wherever it occurred, may you have gained knowledge of God and his work in the world.

More than that. I hope you are living differently today because of that knowledge. I pray that you stop doing things outside the Lord’s will and start doing things within his will.

If what you learned on Sunday does not impact Monday, then all you received was a transfer of information and not the transformation that Jesus desires from us.

Our Church regularly creates digital content for people to share with friends and family. Every post, graphic, and announcement is an opportunity to spread the word and invite others in. And I truly hope those messages travel far across social media.

But recently, I was reminded of something even more powerful.

I heard about a family that visited our Church. Yes, they had seen our posts online, but that’s not what brought them through the doors. Someone from our congregation took an extra step. They sent the post directly to them and added a simple, personal note inviting them to come.

That’s why they showed up.

In a world flooded with constant content, it’s easy for even the best messages to get lost in the noise. A quick share or repost is good, but it can also be overlooked. What people don’t overlook is sincerity. They notice when someone takes the time to reach out directly.

So keep sharing. Keep posting. Keep spreading the word far and wide.

But whenever you can, make it personal.

Because a personal invitation doesn’t just pass along information; it communicates value. It says, “I thought of you.” And sometimes, that’s the very thing God uses to open a door.

It is Thursday morning, and my sermon for this week is complete. Every week, I sit back and marvel at what I was able to create under the Lord’s guidance. Today, I want to take a couple of minutes and tell you what happens each week.

On Monday afternoon, I dig into deep research. I read everything I can on a passage or topic from the Bible. This usually takes about 4 hours. At the end of the day, I have a rough outline typed in that is usually about 3 pages long.

Tuesday morning, I jump into my sermon after some Bible reading and prayer. I type up every thought I have and begin to add flesh to the bones of the outline. I have to step out each Tuesday for a staff meeting, but I jump back in right after lunch. Once I have all my thoughts in a document, I usually end up with about 6 full pages of material. The goal is 7 full pages for a 30-minute sermon.

Once that is completed, the editing process begins. I start asking about logical progression, Biblical theology beyond this passage, and how to apply the main concepts. This usually includes eliminating about an entire page of material. I hate this part, as there is often quality material that gets deleted. Usually by the end of Tuesday, I have about 10 hours of work on the sermon and am about 90% done.

Finally, on Wednesday morning, I read through it again and make edits. Then I jump online and search for sermons on my primary text or topic to see what others have to say. This usually helps me add a few lines of clarification and, sometimes, a better illustration than one I have chosen. By noon, I am all done with it until Saturday, when I practice.

It amazes me every week how I start with these initial thoughts. Then I develop them into a form, and that gets edited and edited into something new and different. What I thought on Monday morning is not what I ended up with on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, I had cut parts I once thought were vital.

As I look at my sermon on the table, it is ready to preach. I always thank God for giving me the thoughts I needed to write this thing called a sermon. I have no control over who will hear it or how many people will. I have no power over how it is received and what someone does with the information. I cannot determine the outcome of what I will preach. All I can do is work hard to put together a sermon to the best of my ability. The rest is in God’s hands.

Theology is best understood as our religious convictions about God, as seen in his character, nature, and work.

I believe there are two levels to our theology. I label them this way.

First, there is thin theology. These are the thoughts we derive from reading the Bible. We study Scripture, and it reveals God to us as pure information.

Second, there is thick theology. These are our thoughts about God based on his word and our experience. We study the scriptures, but we have also learned enough about life that we see it through a different lens. God is seen through his word, and we acknowledge how that plays out in people’s lives.

Thin theology states there is only one God, and atheists are wrong. Thick theology reminds us that most atheists have had one truly painful experience that leads them to believe there is no God, because he could not allow this much pain. Therefore, a believer needs to approach their situation with empathy, not by shouting the truth angrily.

Thin theology teaches that people without Jesus are bound for hell. Thick theology allows this truth to break the believer’s heart so that they share the good news of Jesus with all those who are lost.

Thin theology is the result of information. Thick theology includes emotion. Both are true, but one you can feel.

When I started in ministry, my theology was thin, and I think I might have hurt several people with my hard-hearted convictions. As I have aged, I believe my theology has thickened while my heart has softened.

Lately, whenever I get into a discussion with people about God, I ask myself, “What kind of theology do they have?” Often, the problem is not with their thinking, as they have the correct understanding of Scripture. They simply lack the experience that a life of faith requires.

A pastor whose area of expertise is in welcoming and assimilating new people into a Church community was teaching his approach. He said that one thing he does and encourages others to do is to walk up to people you do not know. Then say, “Hey, I don’t know you yet. And you deserve to be known.”

Finally, he says, “My name is Tommy. Now tell me about yourself.” And the conversation always takes off from there.

One of the quickest ways to connect with people in a meaningful conversation is to express that you want to know them. It is a powerful witness for Jesus when we encourage people to reveal themselves, because all of us deserve to be known.

Long-term answers are not the same as short-term solutions. One is quick and immediate. The other takes a lifetime to develop.

Whenever you confront a problem, you need to be 100% clear about the types of answers you are given and the solution you are choosing.

Short Term Versus Long Term

Not every answer solves a problem in the same way. Some solutions work quickly. They bring relief, reduce pressure, and help us move forward in the moment. Others take much longer. They require patience, consistency, and often a willingness to grow over time.

The challenge is that short-term solutions can feel like enough. They ease the tension just enough that we’re tempted to stop there. But long-term answers don’t just address the symptoms; they also get to the root of the problem. They form character, deepen wisdom, and create lasting change.

So whenever you’re faced with a problem, pause and ask a question: Is this just helping me get through today, or is it helping me become who I need to be tomorrow?

Because the truth is, a life built on quick fixes will always feel fragile. But a life shaped by long-term faithfulness will stand firm.

Choose wisely; not just what works now, but what will still matter later.

Some professional players are worried about their stats. They want touches, highlight reels, personal glory, and a big contract. Others want to win a championship. They desire to see the group succeed and be known as a winner, to the point of being willing to sacrifice individual accomplishments for the good of the team.

Some people are only in it for themselves, while others are team players.

This is not only true at the professional sports level of competition, but also in other arenas, including the Church.

Team players are willing to park at the outskirts of the lot so that guests can have the close spots.

Team players are willing to sit up front in the least desirable seats for the sake of latecomers who can use the back rows.

Team players willingly serve others and sacrifice their time to be the hands of Jesus.

Team players help guests find whatever they need on Sunday and make sure they are comfortable.

Team players want to see the whole Church succeed in the name of Jesus rather than focusing on themselves.

What makes a great Church? The same attitude that exists on championship caliber teams: A willingness to be a team player.

Several members of my congregation make fun of me for being so particular about the chair setup in the auditorium of our worship area. In fact, many will quietly say I have OCD about the placement of every one of them. And honestly, it is not too far from the truth. Let me explain.

Our auditorium is not large, but with proper arrangement, I can fit 256 chairs in without any issues and still have room for another 14-20 metal chairs from our kitchen. This is critically important on big days like Christmas and Easter, as we will fill almost every seat except the front row.

The reason I am so focused on the placement of each row is that being off by 1 inch per row adds up to 10 inches when the rows are in place. That means the back row will not fit and leave space for walking. An extra inch of spacing between the rows will throw everything off, and we will lose a whole row in the end.

Our lives work in much the same way. If you waste a few minutes here and there, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but often it leaves us with little room for the love of God and our neighbor. If you spend a little extra money here and there, it may not be a big deal in a month, but by the end of the year, you could be behind thousands. Make a moral compromise, and you may feel no immediate ill effects. But when you have to cover it with a lie, another soon follows, and you eventually lose sight of the truth.

Slopes are often slippery, and small mistakes can add up to big problems. That is why I am picky about chairs and why you should pay close attention to even the little things in your life.  

One challenge in the Christian life is to move beyond viewing the Church merely as a place for the transmission of information.

It is easy to sit in a group of people and share all the knowledge of the Bible we have acquired over the years. We can explain stories in detail, share practical thoughts, and encourage one another without actually doing anything.

It is not enough for believers to talk about discipleship. We need to disciple people. Spiritual maturity is not telling people they need to serve the Lord. It is about doing a ministry. Instructions on loving our neighbor are meaningless if you have no contact with your neighbor.

The Christian faith is not about talking the talk. It is about walking the walk.