Spending the past year with a large group of teens has refocused my thinking on discipleship. Our youth group averages 35 Jr. High and High school youth every Wednesday night. Last night we went to the park and I watched the group from a distance doing all sorts of activities and I really noticed the diversity among the kids. Some of them have really grown over the last year and others of them have no real interest in what we are doing. Some of them hang on every word of the lessons and others play on their phones. That leaves me constantly asking a question, “What does it take to get someone to grow in Christ?”

I have read numerous books on evangelism and discipleship. I have 20 years of ministry experience with both adults and teenagers. I have been to conferences and pastors meetings along with listening to podcasts, sermons and lectures on the topic of spiritual growth. Honestly it seems like there are numerous ways that a person can grow as a follower of Christ. The opposite is somewhat true – there are numerous ways to avoid growing as a believer. But I have grown extremely interested in a parable Jesus told that is recorded in Matthew 13:3-8. We often call it the “parable of the sower.” Maybe it is better called the “parable of the seeds.” Maybe it is even better described as the “parable of the soils.” It really doesn’t matter what you call it, the truth of the parable speaks to spiritual growth.

Interestingly enough, within the parable Jesus speaks about four types of soil and only one of them proves productive. The other three never reach their full potential. I think that within this story we see some lessons on guaranteed ways to fail at spiritual growth.

1. Avoid Understanding – The first soil is hard and never allows the seed to penetrate. Of it Jesus says, “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19). One of the quickest ways to avoid growth is to simply not pay attention. These are the people who come to Church or a lesson time and never really listen. They are checking their phones, talking to their friends or family, go to the bathroom, play with their child, make faces at the baby in front of them or find one of a thousand ways to not really listen. These people like the appearance of being a follower of Jesus but don’t desire to have any depth. They look good at Church but really do not live the gospel because it never penetrates their heart.

2. Don’t Develop Roots – The second soil allows the seed to start growing but develops no real roots. Jesus says of it, “But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time” (Matthew 13:21). I believe that roots are those steps to spiritual growth that are done out of the public eye. Roots grow beneath the surface where no one sees them develop. This group of people will listen to the sermon or lesson, but go home and leave those concepts only in the back of their mind. There is no daily prayer or Bible study. They are not stretching themselves to give or serve. These people listen to the sermon each week and are truly touched by what they hear but they do nothing with it. Faith is a once a week activity and eventually that is not even true.

3. Be Distracted – The third soil is distracted by all the activities of this life. Jesus says, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). These people truly connect with the Bible and might even be trying to develop roots but their time to do anything with it is limited. Their calendars are full. They have forty plus hours of work and then they give themselves to ever activity under the sun. They are involved in school activities, sports activities, civic activities along with a list of fun activities they enjoy themselves. They worry that they are not a good parent, teacher, worker, or community member. They worry about what other people might think of them if they say to “no” to a particular activity. The schedule hits its maximum limit every week. This often leaves them tired and sick and struggling to do much with their faith. My professor once told our class, “Show me your calendar and I will show you your priorities.” These people are often admired in America because they seem to be doing everything, but unfortunately they are neglecting the most important things.

Jesus parable is designed to push us to ruthlessly evaluate our lives. Are you focused on learning what God’s word says? Do you have any private spiritual disciplines? Where does your time go? Through the years I have learned that there is no magic recipe to get people to grow spiritually. I have learned that there are markers in people’s lives that show me they will never grow spiritually. I believe, if you are serious about growing in your faith you will focus on the opposite actions that Jesus described. If not, I can guarantee you failure.

Tonight our youth group will load up in a bunch of vehicles and head out from the Church to a place the leaders call “destination unknown.” Tonight we forgo the lesson and head out for an evening of fun and adventure. Generally speaking, the teens enjoy it. It gets them out of the Church building, it breaks up the normal routine and they usually have fun.

Then I think about my children. There is one huge question that my older kids keep getting asked, “What are you going to do after high school?” One of them is finishing his junior year and another his sophomore year. There future is coming at them quickly and right now it is completely unknown.

Then I replay my life. I often wonder, “How did I get here?” If you had asked me as a junior in high school, “What are your long-term plans?,” I would have told you that I was thinking of being a taxidermist or working in the fur industry or how I hoped to do something outdoor related. Now I sit here in my office as a pastor of 20 years and currently living in Adrian Missouri. How in the world did I get here? My destination was completely unknown.

I also think of Israel. In the wilderness they followed a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. They never knew how long they were going to stay in one place. They never knew the direction God was going to lead them. In one place in the Old Testament it states clearly that God did not take them by the direct route. It was always packing, moving and following – never completely sure where they were going. Their destination was completely unknown.

There is a line in Proverbs 20:24 that says, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” I think the writer looked back over his life and saw God’s hand working even when the writer didn’t know it. I picture him shaking his head and saying to himself, “I don’t understand my own life journey.” He had undoubtedly ended up at a destination that has been completely unknown.

For me (and you), like those teenagers tonight, I have to trust that God will lead me in a direction that will be the best for me and for His kingdom. I also have to trust that God will lead my children in a direction that will be the best for them and for His kingdom. The life of faith is not about destination but simply following. So today I remind myself, “I don’t have any idea what the future holds, but I am thankful because I know who holds the future.”

Most of us provide care in some way. We are parents, grandparents, siblings, children, friends and neighbors and we care about the people around us. We try to look out for their needs and offer care when they need it. Then something big happens like a stroke, a heart attack, cancer or an accident. Care giving is taken to a whole new level. It requires numerous hospital trips. The stress of making sure everything gets done. The worry and concern for a person we deeply care about. It is hard work to be a caregiver in those difficult moments in life. And yet, many people do it everyday. There are people you know who spend hours each day taking care of the needs of someone else. Honestly, it might be you who are doing this selfless act of service everyday. Your life is about helping another person take care of themselves. Today I am think about you. I am thinking about all of those people who offer care in life’s painful moments.

There are two reasons I am thinking about caregivers. One is because I am watching my mom fulfill this role for my dad. The other reason is because of a conversation I had with my elders last night. We were going to pray for an Alzheimer’s patient and one of my elders said, “We need to pray for the person taking care of them.” Then he explained that most Alzheimer’s patients have no idea what is going on and it is the people around that person who are really struggling.

So today I want to offer my advice about caregivers.

1. Pray for them too. We really do need to offer up prayers for people who are under the stress and strain of caring for a loved one. Ask God to give them strength, peace and shower them with love. Ask God to bless their life in this difficult time.

2. Ask them about themselves. All of us are curious about the person who is receiving the care, but forget the caregiver. Sometimes it is nice just to have someone ask about them.

3. Help (at least offer). This can take many forms – offer a ride, take care of the lawn, stand by the bedside for a day so the person can take a break, etc. Don’t make empty offers and promises that you will never follow-up on. Be honest and do anything you can to help.

4. Food is important. All of us have to eat. Bring a meal. Take a drink. Here is a huge key – ask what the people really like. Showing up with a big fruit basket looks nice, but not everyone likes fruit (like me:-). On the other hand, chocolate is God’s gift to us, but some ungodly people think it is unhealthy:-) I would also suggest trying your best to coordinate with other people. Receiving two pot roasts on the same night can be overwhelming and make the caregiver sad, because now they need to take the time to share all they have been given.

5. Hugs are precious. Depending on the situation, a caregiver may be limited in the physical contact they have with the person they are caring for. A hug from a friend is a precious gift. Sometimes it is more valuable than any words that you can offer.

I know that none of these are new and insightful to most of you. I write this to remind myself to care for the caregiver. Maybe you can share your advice in the comments sections. Maybe it will inspire you in some way. Whatever happens, I thank God for the caregivers of the world.

Seth Godin posted this a year ago. It is good stuff and bears repeating –

You might be waiting for things to settle down. For the kids to be old enough, for work to calm down, for the economy to recover, for the weather to cooperate, for your bad back to let up just a little…

The thing is, people who make a difference never wait for just the right time. They know that it will never arrive.

Instead, they make their ruckus when they are short of sleep, out of money, hungry, in the middle of a domestic mess and during a blizzard. Whenever.

As long as whenever is now.

There has been a lot of great reading on the web over the past few weeks. Here are some of the best ones I read –

CHRISTIANITY

I Am Barabbas

Eight Laws for Spiritual Growth

Seven Unbiblical Statements Christians Believe

Do You Think it Happened or Not

CHURCH

How to Destroy Your Pastor

11 Secrets Most Leaders Won’t Tell You

FAMILY & MARRIAGE

I Wasn’t Ready for Marriage

7 Things You May Not Know but You Need to Know about Your Wife

How to Evaluate Your Relationship to Your Spouse

INTERESTING

What it’s like to be laughed at on the Internet

Why We Fail the Grieving

* A FUN VIDEO – Monday Morning Fail

* Another FUN VIDEO – A Math Teachers April Fools Prank

Dylan Thomas begins his powerful and most popular poem “Do not go gently into that good night” with these lines –

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[You can read the rest of the poem HERE]

I am told that he wrote the poem as his own father was facing death. It is a plea to push back against death with all the force and vengeance we can muster.

This poem has been on my mind lately because of my own father. Partly because I want him to push back against this stroke and live on another day. There is another part to his story that is important for you to know. On May 5th my dad will turn 80 years old. He has now suffered a heart blockage, a massive heart attack, a heart surgery and now a stroke. He is old and well advanced in years and has every reason to sit back and let the light of his life slowly die. But …

I sat in his chair, as in no one else sits there when he is in the house, on Sunday night. I looked over to the left side of his chair at the end table that is pushed up against the wall. There I noticed several pages of hand written notes. I picked them up and began to look at them because I knew they were in my dad’s handwriting. It was pages and pages of notes on the gospels. My mom said, “It was his Sunday School lesson for Sunday.”

My dad had been working on putting together his Sunday School lesson right up until the night before his stroke. Then a thought his me like never before, “What will I be found doing with my final hours?” Now, I am thankful those were not my dad’s final hours and there appears to be more chapters written in his life. I did not know that at the time. So I wondered, what will my final actions in this life reveal about me?

While my dad had every right to sit back and just coast through these last few years, he has chosen not to. Instead he has chosen to continue serving as long as his light burns. I know one thing about my dad, he will not go gentle into that good night. He will burn and rave and … he will be teaching – Teaching the good news of Jesus.

Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” We are not just told to pray for people but to keep our eyes open, being watchful. But the next word makes me think the apostle Paul wants us to watch out for reasons to be thankful as we pray. Those small blessings we might otherwise miss. Today I am thankful for the thousand little blessings in my life.

– For my dad being alive.
– For having a ministry close enough to drive and see my dad for two days.
– For a Church that understands my situation and allows me to travel and miss work.
– For a group of people who asked me about my dad on Sunday and really cared.
– For hundreds of people praying from all over the country for my family and especially my dad.
– For safe travels.
– For a great mother who stands quietly in the back giving support through everything.
– For a caring wife who went with me without question.
– For having boys who love their grandfather.
– For watching my mom and dad kiss like teenagers when she came in the room on Monday.
– For dad saying “Wonderful” when mom and I walked in the room on Tuesday.
– For finding joy in my dad knowing everyone’s name.
– For listening to my dad laugh, even with a feeding tube.
– For having people who blessed me through a financial gift that allowed me to care for my mother’s needs (even a little).
– For quiet moments holding my dad’s hand.
– For seeing my dad’s health improve over the last couple days.
– For the pain of leaving because of deep care.
– For the hope of eternity found in Jesus Resurrection.
– For my dad being a Christian. For all of my family for that matter.

I am sure I could fill pages and pages of little blessings I have experienced over the last few days. People have prayed and God has poured out his blessings. Today I want to stop and thank your for praying. I especially want to thank God for all he has done.

One final thought. What prayers has God answered for you? What blessings has he poured out in your life? I think you will see them if you take the time to look.

Thoughts from a Waiting Room
I have spent the last couple of days in and out of an ICU waiting room. There are only two people allowed in my dad’s room at a time, so the family is taking alternating periods in the waiting room. Since we are at a large hospital there has been a lot of turnover of patients and their families in the last 48 hours. Spending all these hours in the waiting room has shown me a few things while watching people.

1. Support is Vital. Everyone needs a support network of people. I once read that people in the hospital who have numerous visitors recover faster than those who have few to no visitors. I am not sure of the scientific proof, but experientially I know it is true. All of us want and need the support of people who love us. That leads me to two thoughts. One, “What kind of support do I have? Two, “What kind of support am I?” I need to continually remind myself of the power of mutual support.

2. Religion is Important. I have seen three ministers visiting with families and a few people offering up prayers. There is a Bible on the table and a chaplain walking through the ICU offering any support she can. The old expression is “there are no atheists in foxholes.” It is almost equally true that there are no atheists in ICU waiting rooms. While I believe our faith in God is important everyday of life, it is vital in life’s darkest hours.

3. Life is Precious. We take so many days for granted. We take most of our relationships for granted too. When we are faced with life and death situations we appreciate every moment we have been given with the people we love. My question is, “Why do we wait until these moments to value our time together.” Share your love today.

4. “You never know what’s coming for you” This is one of my favorite lines in the movie Benjamin Button. It touches me because of its harsh reality. Walking to my father’s room I have seen a younger man in a room, a middle age woman and people of various ages. The rooms are not just full of old people, but all people. Life is precious and you never know when it will end.

I suppose all of this comes together in my mind today. Sitting in ICU I am surrounded by family, I cling to my faith and I treasure each moment with my dad, because I really didn’t see this coming. Then I adjust my sights to those around me. Their life is precious and I have no idea what is coming for them. I hope I can build them up in their faith and support them through their dark hours. I especially hope to show them love today as if it were our last day together.

What if our lives looked everyday like they do in the ICU waiting room?

The past few days have been filled with numerous ups and downs in my life and in the life of the Church. I thought today I would just give a quick rundown of some of those events.

1. The Good Friday community worship program went well. This is a combined worship service by the local Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God and our Christian Church. We had 85 people come out for a worship program on Friday night. It was a great evening of worship, fellowship and study of the scripture. We also raised $800 that will be given back to people with financial needs in our community.

2. My Holy Saturday was eventful. Early in the morning I received a text that my dad had a stroke. At first it was described as “massive,” but has since been downgraded. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and especially their prayers. Your outpouring of love and support has been wonderful.

3. Easter was another powerful experience. We started the day with a breakfast for everyone. I have no idea how much food was cooked by our men, but there was a large group who showed up and enjoyed the meal. Then we kicked off worship for the day. We had 204 people in worship including 33 kids in our Children’s Church. It was especially great knowing we had several of our regular attendees gone for the holiday weekend. We had numerous guests and a great day of worship of our Risen Lord.

4. After the dust of Easter settled I was able to talk to my mother about the situation with my dad. Upon discussion by my family we decided to head out as a family to Indiana to be with my father. It was a long day with 8 hours of travel but we arrived safely late in the evening. Thanks for all the prayers for safety.

5. Today I was able to go to the hospital and see my dad. Actually he was better than I expected. He is having trouble swallowing and is being fed through a tube. He speech is slurred but I can understand him if he talks slowly and deliberately. Finally, the right side of his body is gaining strength while his face is a little droopy. As you might imagine, he was happy to see me and excited to see his grandsons. The doctors are optimistic and pleased with his recovery already. Words cannot express my appreciate for all of your prayer on his behalf.

I can’t give you a lot of spiritual lessons that are currently on my mind. I keep thinking about how much I love my family, how I have been blessed by having great parents and how thankful I am to have just one more day with my dad. Everyday we are given is a precious gift from God and I hope we all get to spend them with people that we love.

Today is Resurrection Sunday. Better known as Easter in most Christian circles. It is simply the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his sacrificial death on the cross.
The Church has a simple echo statement for this day. One person would say, “He is Risen” and the other would respond with, “He is risen indeed.”

So this morning I shout out –

The rest is up to you.