As I was scrolling through reels on social media, I stopped on a man who was not only critical of the Church but specifically of pastors. He accused most pastors of compromising their spiritual leadership to keep their jobs. He said, “If pastors stood up this Sunday and confronted sin as they should, half to three-quarters of them would lose their jobs. They know this, so they purposely preach on a handful of popular passages to keep everyone happy.”

Comments like these primarily reveal that someone has no idea what it is like to be a pastor. I am continually talking to people about changing their lives, confronting their sins, and living for Jesus. The majority of the congregation I lead would have no problem with me preaching about any sin.

Mostly, videos and comments like this one make me sad. As Christians, we call the message of Jesus “the gospel,” which means “good news.” Telling people about Jesus is primarily good news for them. It is a message that forgiveness is possible, that transformation is within reach, that grace and love triumph over evil, and there is hope for eternity in Jesus. The Bible is full of positive information, and it does not compromise the message to preach and teach that to people.

Sure, people need to know about sin and their need for repentance. People need to know they are guilty of living outside God’s will and that they need to change. But all that leads us to the message of Jesus as our Savior. It shines light on grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.

Positive preaching is not a sign of weakness in a pastor; it is evidence that they truly believe the good news of Jesus.

One of the clearest signs of Christian maturity is realizing you are never “finished.”

Many people think maturity means reaching a place where you have everything figured out. But spiritual growth does not work that way. The closer we walk with Christ, the more aware we become of the areas of our lives that still need to change.

A new believer might notice obvious sins like anger, dishonesty, and theft. As they grow, the Holy Spirit often reveals deeper issues: pride hidden behind good works, impatience with others, or a lack of love in everyday interactions. Growth means we become more willing to let God keep shaping us in every area.

This does not mean living in constant discouragement. The goal is not perfection overnight, but steady transformation over time. God is patient with His people, and He faithfully completes the work He begins.

So when you find another area of your life that needs attention, do not be discouraged. That awareness may be evidence that you are on your way to becoming a mature Christian.

My wife and I watched the movie about C.S. Lewis on Amazon Prime called “The Most Reluctant Convert.” We both agree that it is “a lot of talking.” Amidst all the dialogue, a line jumped out at me.

C.S. Lewis describes his childhood, pre-conversion view of God not as a Savior or Judge, but merely as “a sort of Magician who, if asked properly, would grant a request”. He believed this genie-like figure should “go back into his bottle until needed again.”

That is the picture of numerous people who walk through the doors of the Church I lead. Life has thrown them a curveball, and they are trying to figure out their next steps. Many of them are approaching God as a sort of magician who grants our requests and makes things better again. Then they can return to their life and forget about God until the next time they have a wish for him to fulfill.

While prayer is basically presenting our requests to God, it flows from a relationship built on communication and trust. That does not mean he gives us everything we desire; it means he gives us what is best for us and molds our hearts as we place our concerns before him.

One question worth asking about your faith is, “How do you view God?” If you think of him as a magician, you will always be disappointed. If you view him as a loving Father, you will never be let down.  

As a Christian, is there such a thing?

We believe in a God who can set a nation free by his mighty hand through plagues. He can raise the weak, give sight to the blind, heal the sick, feed the poor, and even raise the dead. His strength has no limits, and Jesus declared, “…with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26)

No person is so lost that they can’t come home. No Church is dying in a way that God can’t revive it. No human situation is so bad that God cannot bring health and restoration.

If God is truly working in a situation, there are no lost causes. Lean into your faith even when his ultimate purpose currently remains a mystery. God can make flowers grow where things currently seem lifeless, because nothing is impossible for Him.

The old joke is that a pastor only works for an hour or two on Sunday. The joke works for two reasons. One, people who truly know the pastor recognize that they are like a small business owner and end up working all the time. Two, most people have no idea what the pastor does beyond the sermon, so it might be true that he is only working that one hour.

What I didn’t understand when I entered the full-time ministry was what all I would be doing. Each week, 8-16 hours are spent preparing for a sermon, but where does the rest of the time go?.

I did a little calculating over my past 2-3 weeks to see where my time went. Here is what I discovered, and maybe it will help you. First, every day I read my Bible, pray, and read a devotional book. I am also leading 16 people in reading through the Bible in a year and messaging with them. Second, I am leading a men’s small group, and I need to prepare for that in every way. That includes reading, writing, praying, and presenting.

This is where things get more interesting. I spend a few hours each week on the building. I cleaned the carpet, washed towels, prepared coffee supplies, and even plunged a toilet. More time was devoted to creative thinking about my sermons and future worship. I placed an order on Amazon that included things like shackles, drop cloths, fake blood, and a judge’s gavel. Planning worship also includes selecting worship songs, choosing videos, and adding any creative elements for Easter. In addition, there have been staff, elder, and leadership team meetings. I write blogs and keep this site going. And each week brings various new adventures, from a random person dropping by who needs prayer to helping fix a mold problem around the baptistry to calling my mother. Some weeks, there is a steady stream of people who stop by, and other weeks I spend in almost total silence.

Being a Pastor for me is about never knowing what each day might bring. There have been days when I have visited with numerous people about following Jesus, and others when I have cleaned bathrooms and restocked the kitchen.

I did not enter this career expecting things to be easy or predictable. I went into it with an attitude that says, “God use me in any way you see fit.” And every week, he gives me new challenges and opportunities. At its heart, that is what all of us are called to do and be as Christians. With God, availability is always more important than ability.

When the house is quiet, the television is off, your phone is face down, and everyone else is asleep, where does your mind wander?

Does it replay the day like a courtroom drama, examining every word you said and every mistake you made? Do you dissect conversations, searching for hidden meanings that may not even exist?

Or does your mind rush ahead into tomorrow and rehearse conversations, preparing for worst-case scenarios, or chasing dreams of success and recognition?

Maybe it drifts backward, stirring up old regrets. Moments you wish you could redo. Words you wish you could take back. Opportunities you missed.

What fills your mind is revealing.

Those quiet moments often expose what truly captures our hearts. When distractions fade, the direction of our thoughts often shows the direction of our soul. Downtime is not just empty space, but it is sacred space. It is an opportunity to turn anxious thoughts into prayer, regret into repentance, and restless ambition into surrender.

So tonight, when the world grows quiet, and your mind begins to wander, gently lead it back to Christ. Let your last thoughts before sleep be gratitude. Let your quiet moments become communion.

Because where your mind consistently goes is often where your heart truly rests.

One of the reasons it is critical to recognize the context of a passage is that there are numerous statements made that have nothing to do with you.

In Genesis, there are promises made to Abraham that were meant specifically for him. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets made numerous promises to the Israelites about their future. Jesus informed the twelve disciples of all kinds of amazing things that would happen to them upon his departure. On top of all that, there are promises in the New Testament for Jesus’ followers, not for humanity in general.

If you do not understand this, you will read the Old Testament, for example, a passage that was meant for Israel and apply it to our world today, totally changing its meaning.

Always ask yourself as you read your Bible, “To whom was this said?”

Quite often, the application is not for you but for someone else. In understanding this Biblically, we can begin to see that we follow a God who speaks and then follows through, even when he is not speaking to us.

My wife and I spent two weeks on vacation in Texas. We traveled without an agenda or a plan. We made each day up as we went along, and it was a wonderful adventure together.

We ate delicious food, visited historical places, shopped in unfamiliar stores, and walked on the beach. We spent two weeks in hotels and didn’t wash our own towels or sheets. At every place we stayed, breakfast was included, and I received no extra utility bills.

On one of the final days of our trip, we checked our phones to discover we were only three hours from home. I immediately turned to my wife and said, “Let’s go home.” To which she responded, “That sounds great.”

Despite all our travels, we love the feel of our own home. The familiar surroundings, our comfortable bed, the safety of knowing the neighbors, and the rest that comes from not having to travel anymore. While it doesn’t have all the benefits of traveling, it holds something intangible that we love.

My Bible reading this week included Hebrews 11, which contained this line about the patriarchs in the Old Testament. “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb 11:10)

As I read that verse, my mind made a simple paraphrase: They were longing for home.

Everyone who is a believer understands that this life can offer some wonderful things. But we also long for the day when we will come into the eternal city God has prepared for us. We have a longing for our true home.

There is something in all of us that loves the moral high ground. We want to be right. We like to feel superior. We want to stand above the mess, point to the failures of others, and quietly thank God that we are not like them. It feels safe up there. Clean. Justified.

But the gospel does not allow us to live on that hill very long.

In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee stood tall, rehearsing his spiritual résumé before God. The tax collector stood at a distance, beating his chest, whispering, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The shocking part? The humble man went home justified.

If our own moral standing could save us, the cross would have been unnecessary. The very reason Jesus came was that we needed rescuing. None of us is morally superior to any other person.

This doesn’t mean truth doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean sin isn’t serious. It means we approach both with humility. We speak truth not as people who have climbed higher than everyone else, but as sinners saved by grace.

The Christian life is not about defending our moral platform; it is about kneeling at the foot of the cross. And from that posture, we are far more useful to God and far more gracious to others.

The safest place to stand is not on the moral high ground.

It is on the grace and mercy of God.

I know of a Church leader who is walking through a season in which they publicly admitted to having sinned. It is an ugly situation, and the list of sins committed is numerous. As part of their healing process, they stood before their Church and confessed their wrongdoing.

Recently, I spoke with their spouse, and they admitted how difficult the whole situation had been for their marriage and family. On the flip side, they went on to say how finally being honest about their behavior had been incredibly cleansing.

This person had carried the weight of their sin and shame for years upon years. This enormous burden was only lifted when they openly confessed to their behavior.

There is a simple lesson in this painful story. Whenever you are carrying the effects of your mistakes in your soul, you need to find a way to confess them. I am not telling you to stand up in Church and air all your dirty laundry. But you do need to find a trusted Christian friend with whom you can share your deepest, darkest secrets.

For many, this role has been delegated to therapists and counselors because people are assured of confidentiality. That might be a great place for you to start. But you do not have to go that route. You can find someone to confide in and begin sharing your struggles.

So many of the burdens we carry could be removed if only we embraced the power of confession.