I have frequently quoted 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.”

It is one of the places that Paul says “Here is a trustworthy statement.” That serves as a sort of highlighting of the words Paul is about to write so that we know their importance. Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners and that is exactly who Jesus came to save. I usually mention that God came to save each one of us no matter how bad we think we have become.

It was not until recently that I noticed the words that follow this verse. 1 Timothy 1:16 reads, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”

In essence Paul says that God showed him mercy so that he could show everyone he encountered how wonderful the grace of God is to those who believe. Paul was a living example of the power of the gospel. He clearly saw God’s unlimited patience at work through every mistake he made.

Almost daily I hear someone confirm that we are all sinners. Each one of us openly acknowledges our lack of perfection when it comes to our relationship with God. Most people might not classify themselves as the worst of sinners publicly, but we all know our failures quite well. We sin and fall short of all that God desires for our lives.

Instead of trying to hide that truth Paul embraces it. He says that his life is an example of God’s mercy and patience to everyone. That does not mean he wallowed in his sin and never attempted to change. He simply used those moments of failure to point others to the grace of God.

Our lives may be full of sin but those times we fail are opportunities not only to receive grace but also to share mercy and grace. Christians need to be very clear that we are not perfect, in fact, that is why we are Christians. And the grace that fills our lives is available to everyone in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through the years I have had several people tell me that they are praying for me as their preacher. I always appreciate their kind thoughts and especially those prayers. I know that the prayers of God’s people encourage me, strengthen me and empower me everyday.

So if you are the kind of person who is willing to pray for their preacher, then let me share with you a few of my prayer needs. I think most of these apply to every pastor I know.

1. Pray for Them as a Person. Pray for your preacher like you would a family member. Pray that God will bless them. Pray that He will shower them with grace and mercy. Pray that God will lead and direct them in their home and their work. Pray for their safety and their health. Pray for them.

2. Pray Against Temptation. Every person, including pastors, have a weak point in their lives. That may be pride, anger, lust, greed, gossip or a variety of sins. I believe that evil one will find that weak point and try to exploit it. Pray that you preacher will stand strong against the forces of evil at work in his life.

3. Pray Concerning Their Family. Trouble at home makes ministry even harder to do effectively. Think about how your family struggles affect your work life. Well, for a pastor Sunday is always coming and no family issue can stop it from coming. Even on difficult weeks a sermon still needs prepared and preached. I would also encourage you to say a special prayer for the pastor’s wife. She needs it too.

4. Pray for a Clear Voice. Most preachers speak at least twice a week. Some of them do it even more. There is a constant cycle of ideas, study, learning, writing and speaking going on each week. Pray that the pastor will say the right things to the people who need to hear it.

5. Pray About Their Leadership. Honestly, I have no idea what I am doing. I know what I have been taught, what I have read and what I have experienced. But I really never know what God is doing in the lives of His people or this Church. Most pastors are not really qualified to lead a congregation. We were taught how to study the Bible and then to preach and teach it. There was not even an internet when I went to college and now I am suppose to use it for ministry. How do I do that? I have no idea exactly how to do anything, but I ask God to lead me. A pastor needs others to do the same thing for him.

I am sure there are other things I could add to the list, but these are the big ones for me. These are the things I pray for everyday concerning myself. I would ask you to pray for the same things for me or for any pastor you know.

I am not a youth ministry expert. In fact I never wanted to lead a youth group or teach a teenage class. And yet, after 23 years of ministry I have managed to do just that for all 23 years. I have taught and worked with teenagers year after year in both a class setting and a youth group setting.

I am also not a teen expert. And yet, I have four boys who are all teenagers. One is on the top side at 18 and one is on the bottom side at 13. I live and breathe teenagers at my house everyday.

With that said, let me share a couple of insights or keys I have about reaching the next generation with the message of Jesus.

1. Your Commitment is King. Teenagers recognize if you are one person on Sunday and another through the week. They recognize when you skip church, don’t serve and disregard other people. The flip side is also true. They recognize when you are sold out on what you believe and try to live it out everyday.

2. Attention is a Drug. All children are desperately seeking attention. They will find it in negative or positive ways. Once they find it they are addicted to it. Giving a child attention will make them connected to you in a deep way. This can be a double-edged sword. You will love it and hate it.

3. Friends are Foundational. Young people fill their lives with relationships. They may be in person or in some digital format. They will be highly influenced by this group of people. They will need positive role models of all ages but especially in their group of friends.

4. Fun is Not Optional. This is one I am learning. The next generation is serious about their sports, their video games and doing anything they enjoy. I have been wrestling with this. How does the church leverage this truth for outreach? How do parents use this truth to influence their children for Christ? I think one big key is to learn their likes and step into their world. It will create a trust that will let you speak into other areas.

5. Discussion Opens Doors. Because of the enormous amount of information available to today teenagers they want to discuss what they are hearing. I believe Christians need to teach the truth but then take time to discuss it. I am not great at this, but I see the need and I am trying to get better. Teach but then listen and talk. When you respect their thoughts and views it opens up their minds to learning.

Like I said, I am not an expert but I do play one at Church:-) I am trying to constantly learn how to reach the next generation with the gospel. God has been teaching me a few things that you might find helpful too. They need Jesus and we need to help them find him. I think these are some of the keys. Do you have anything to add to my list?

I have loved to collect arrowheads since I was a boy. They fascinated me then and they still do today. In fact, for years I walked fields looking to find these little jewels. As a result of our searching my dad and I were able to find hundreds of these Native American weapons. I have a display case full of them in my living room that is quite impressive.

If you are not familiar with arrowheads then you need to know a few things. First, the oldest arrowheads are very primitive. I have a collection that my dad calls “willow points.” They are basically an oval shape with a point on each end. Indians would shove a shaft on one end and they had an arrow. Second, over time the designs became more complex. I have all types of different shapes and sizes that are all very unique. Finally, you need to know that every design was unique to the rock they were using. A good builder would use the natural breaks to form a unique design with every new arrowhead.

Well, I could go on and on about arrowheads. Like I wrote earlier, I am fascinated by them. But this weekend I was looking over my arrowhead case and a new thought hit me. In my mind I clearly thought, “these are just rocks.” In reality these unique little creations are just plain old rocks. There are billions on the planet. They are basically everywhere you go. Then a second thought hit me. “Yes, these are ordinary rocks but they are different because they were touched by a master builder.”

The difference between an ordinary thing and an extraordinary thing is who has touched it. A plain old ordinary rock is transformed into a beautiful collectors item with the touch of a master’s hand.

This truth applies not only to rocks, but also to people. You and I may be ordinary in every way. We may be just like the other billions of people on the planet. But what makes a believer unique is we have allowed ourselves to molded by the Master. Our lives have value not because of our ordinary features. Our lives have value because they are shaped by God.

For years VH1 (a TV music channel) ran the show “Behind the Music” to tell the full story of certain bands and the songs they created. Well, today I want to take you for a few minutes behind the sermon.

Each week of the year I create a new 25-30 minute piece of material to share about God’s word. I have been doing this for over 23 years now. Only two of those 23 years have I preached less than 48 times in a calendar year. One year I took a sabbatical and one year I was moving to Alaska and the transition took longer than expected.

I tell you that because I have developed a simple plan for making sermons. Just to be clear I write all my own sermons. Yes, I have borrowed titles, topics, illustrations and even texts but I make the final product myself. In fact, each year I try to preach at least 30 sermons on topics or texts I have never spoke on before. This Sunday, for example, I will preach on the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew chapter 25. To the best of my recollection I have never spoke on this story, rather I have usually preached on the parable Jesus spoke after that one about sheep and goats.

As for my sermon preparation plan: First I plan the sermon out roughly months in advance. I come up with a topic, a title and often a text. Then the week of the sermon comes. On Monday I read the text and start gathering ideas. I hope to have a very rough outline by the end of the day. On Tuesday I try to spend all day on the sermon. My goal is to have 6 typed pages of an extended outline. On Wed. I review and add the final page. This day I spend the least amount of time on my sermon as I prepare for other things. On Thursday I finish the sermon in the morning. By this point I have read through my sermon at least 3 times. I have edited it at least 2 times.

Here comes the part that surprises people. I preach through the sermon from beginning to end every Thursday. Sometimes I preach it twice if it doesn’t go real well. I am simply trying to hear the flow of the sermon and take a mental picture of every page. Friday is my day off and Saturday is hit and miss with work. If it is a big sermon coming up like Easter I will preach through the sermon again at my house on Saturday night before bed. Saturday nights are always the same for me. I wake up every 2-3 hours and review what I am going to say in my mind.

Finally I wake up early on Sunday morning and drive to the Church building. One more time I preach through the sermon out loud in my office from beginning to end. I try to do it without notes and just occasionally check to make sure to see if I am missing anything.

That means by Sunday morning and I stand up to preach I have read through my sermon 5-6 times. I have preached through it 2-3 times. Often I am editing the sermon in my mind right up to the point it comes out of my mouth.

Why do all this? Mainly, I believe it honors God. If I am going to speak for Him I want to do my best. If a couple of hundred people are going to give me their time then I want to use it wisely. Practice is a drag but it is free. You can work hard, practice and then evaluate without any special skill. Through the years I have taken my limited skill and maximized it for God. My ultimate goal is NOT for anyone to say that I am a great preacher. My ultimate goal is that God will use my efforts to speak into someone’s life. If you want to know my simple secret to good preaching my answer is always, “Practice, practice, practice.” It makes you better and I think it honors God.

My oldest son is 6575 days old today. That is 939 weeks or 216 months. You could also say he is 18 years old and has seen 5 leap years including this one.

He was born on a Monday evening at 7:16 pm after 22 hours of labor. Most of the delivery was coached by me as there were very few nurses because of a snow and ice storm. He was not breathing when he was born and I was terrified. Since the moment the doctor got you breathing again I have been scared for 18 years.

As a young child you wanted to be like daddy. As a middle school boy you wanted to be a sports star. But you turned out to be a wonderful, kind young man. You may not be a big name star but your smile and your great heart will impact everyone you come in contact with in your life. Your brothers will be great men because they have you to look up to.

I want you to know that I have prayed for you almost everyday of those 18 years. I have asked God to keep you safe. I have asked Him to lead you in paths of righteousness and forgive you when you fall short. I have pleaded with God for a spouse who is a follower of Jesus.

Today I thank God for you and I ask Him to bless you beyond measure.

The seal of the United States of America contains the words “E Pluribis Unum.” I know nothing about Latin, but I am told those words mean “Out of many, one” (alternatively translated as “One out of many” or “One from many”). The idea is simple to understand. This country is a diverse groups of states with numerous cities that all make up one unified country. In order for this country to be great we must learn to work together.

I must admit that every time I read those words I do not think of the United States but rather the Church. The church is a diverse collection of individuals who are united by the salvation Jesus offers us through the cross. We are a group of people with different ages, skin colors, backgrounds, genders and a dozen other different things. One thing that I have found to be true through the years is that each person has their own unique set of beliefs too. While we may all agree on the big stuff of faith there is a vast array of beliefs on other things. Each person is a conglomeration of what they learned at Church, from their parents, in their experiences and any other source that taught them about faith.

I believe that each person in the Church has a decision to make about how we view other people in our community:

1. We can choose to focus on our differences. We can spend our time trying to correct other people’s views so that they align exactly with ours. We can serve as a watchdog on faith in our community of believers.

2. We can choose to focus on our similarities. We can spend our time focusing our attention on those beliefs of which we can all agree. We can open our arms to diversity and try to learn from each other in our community of believers.

Please hear me clearly, I am not saying that doctrine is not important and that we should not all strive to learn exactly what the Bible is teaching. I am saying we can set our minds on trying to learn from one another. We can help each other on this journey of faith. We can study together, pray together and serve together without total agreement on everything. That way the next time you encounter someone who views something different from you is an opportunity for discussion and growth rather than criticism and division.

My hope is that the Church will be a place where people can think, learn and grow and that we can do it together. My prayer is that our diversity will not keep us from unity.

The founders of our country were correct in their thinking. This country needs to come together in our diversity to form one great nation. I also believe the founder of the Church had the same idea first.

Some days are just plain ordinary.

There are days I don’t do anything exciting. There are days I don’t really do anything good for other people. There are days I can’t come up with anything great to blog. Days when my brain gets locked up and nothing profound comes out of my mouth or pen. There are days when I make it to the office, complete the tasks that need done and just go home.

Do you ever have days like that?

Last week I went to my blog reader program called feedly. A fairly popular blogger had made a mistake in their work and left the title as simply “New Post.” I laughed and thought to myself how sometimes I can’t think of a good blog title either. In fact, some days I can’t even think of what to write at all.

I read the blogs and posts of some people and I am amazed. Everyday they do something great. They are always acting with a sense of purpose and mission. Their actions include writing, serving others, visiting people while being the perfect spouse and involved parent. Honestly, most days I struggle to accomplish just one of those things.

Through the years I have had to train myself to think that it is okay to have an ordinary day. Living for God does not mean that everyday will be a spectacular experience. Living for God means that He is present with me in my normal everyday moments. Then He somehow takes my ordinary encounters and use them for His glory. He is with me as much today as every other day and that means everything will work out for the best. This is true even when I don’t see it or feel it.

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is “American Pickers.” I have actually enjoyed it for several years. There is a treasure aspect to what Mike and Frank do in each episode that I enjoy. They consistently find old items and buy them cheap in order to resell them.

Because I am busy on Wednesday nights when the show is on with youth group at the Church I set it up to DVR. That means that sometime on Thursday I finally sit down to watch it. Well, yesterday the guys from Antique Archaeology found some old metal dividers. The conversation quickly went to how these items could be “repurposed.” How could they take something that had one original design and use it for something completely different?

This idea was further driven home in my mind when I walked outside at my own home. Just outside my front door you will find an old ladder. It was made of wood and was too rotten to support someone’s weight while climbing. My wife and I had the idea to cut it up and make it a plant form for a one of our climbing roses to grow up around. It’s original design now modified and adjust to fit a new need.

This type of thinking has me believing that God wants to do some repurposing in our lives.

1. God wants to repurpose your hurts. I once heard Rick Warren say that your greatest source of struggle can also be your greatest ministry. Who better to minister to unwed teen mothers than a former unwed teen mother? Who better to minister to teens struggling with drugs than a former addict? Who better to share the grace of God than someone who has experienced it first hand?

2. God wants to repurpose your comfort. Second Corinthians chapter one develops this idea. In simple terms, when you were struggling God did something or used someone to help get you through it. Now you take the lessons you learned and help someone else with it. God’s original purpose was to help you and now you can repurpose that information to help others.

Our God loves to repurpose people’s hurts, struggles and the strength it took to get through those situations. I know there are other things he is waiting to repurpose, but I think that might be a good sermon series next year. For now, what would happen if you let God do some repurposing in your life? Maybe your rotten experience could be a place for roses to grow.

I love the title of Lemony Snicket’s book series “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Honestly, I even liked the wacky movie that was made based off the books. Sometime in life a series of bad things can happen to us over which we have no control. Then again, sometimes a series of bad things can happen because we have failed to take control and lead things a different direction.

Last night I sat and watched the end of a basketball dream. A town very close to us had a very good men’s basketball team this year. They had not lost a game … until last night. The team was up 5 points with a little over a minute to play. I thought the game was over. Then the other team fouled on purpose to stop the clock and try and get the ball back. The player went to the line and missed the front end of a one and one free throw situation. The other team took the ball and scored. The team with the lead proceeded to turn the ball over on two possessions. One resulted in a score and the other did not. Now it was a 1 point game with 3 seconds left when there was one more foul committed.

The player walked to the line and also missed the front end of a one and one. The opposing team rebounds the ball and one player shot the ball a little past half court. It was a long shot with a bad angle. Amazingly the ball hit the backboard and bounced in with no time left on the clock. The shot counted for three points and the undefeated team suddenly was defeated.

I hope you are following my story so far. After the game there was much discussion of that final minute as you can imagine. People blamed the loss on a bad call from the refs (and there was). People credited the team with a miracle shot (and it was). But for me the game was lost because of a long series of bad actions and decisions. Timeouts were used unwisely, the team quit giving the ball to their star player, free throws were missed, turnovers were made and the defense was very poor. In my opinion there was not one bad play that lost the game and there was not one great play that won it. There was a series of things that resulted in the loss.

Thinking about the events of the night and replaying everything in my mind lead me to remember a simple truth: Nothing is lost or won in one play. This is true for sports, but it is also true in life.

No marriage falls apart in a day. No child gets in trouble because of one bad day of parenting. No person walks away from faith because of one event. Bad things are rarely the result of one bad action.

Marriages fall apart because a couple stops saying “I love you.” They stop serving each other. They stop holding hands and going out together. Children struggle because they have no grounding in the faith. Their spiritual development is shortchanged for other activities. They do not receive the attention and love they need so they go looking somewhere else. Faith crumbles when people skip Church, stop reading their Bible and and spend less time with Christians.

Each step of life takes us on a path toward success or failure. It may be the final step that is remembered but it was a long journey that takes us there. Where is your journey leading you?