Whenever you have not done something in a while, the first few attempts are nowhere near perfect. It often takes multiple efforts over several days before the actions we once knew so well begin to feel normal again.

Picking up an instrument after years without playing it can be painful to hear. Watching a sports star return from an injury that kept them sidelined for months rarely results in them returning to their preinjury form immediately.

When someone steps up to read the Bible, I can immediately tell whether they do it regularly. If someone is forced into a situation where they are required to pray publicly, it is quickly apparent if they have prayed much lately. Often it occurs with people whom I know were once very close to God in their spiritual walk.

The good news is that if you keep making an effort, your performance will eventually improve. A commitment to doing the work is evident in the long run.

Sometimes, when I hear someone read or pray, I can tell they are out of practice, but then I smile because I know that if they commit to doing the work, this will be the first step on a road to improvement.

It’s okay if you feel out of practice with spiritual things; you can keep doing them until it feels normal again.

I live two blocks from a railroad track. I have lived in that house for over 10 years now, and I can no longer hear the trains go by in the middle of the night. I have become deaf to the loud noise of the train as it rumbles past my house with the horn blaring every night.

I read the Bible every day. I have been consistent in my plan to do that since 2009. If I am not careful, I can become deaf to what I am reading. It can shift from being life-changing information to a low rumble in the background of my days.

I wish every single believer would read their Bible regularly. But with that comes the potential to no longer hear its instruction and power.

One valid prayer before you read the Bible, attend a small group, or listen to a sermon is to ask God directly, “Open my eyes and ears to see and hear what you want me to know.” Otherwise, the train of God may pass us by without us even noticing.

There’s a fine line between telling people what they need to hear and what they want to hear.

A pastor or teacher can stand before a congregation, speak truth, and receive enthusiastic agreement. The room erupts with “Amens” and “Praise Jesus.” People feel affirmed in their faith and convictions. But without careful discernment, these speakers may be feeding self-righteousness rather than cultivating genuine righteousness.

What believers truly need is teaching that shapes them into Christ’s image and not messages that merely validate their existing views. The challenge is that this kind of leadership is messy. It rarely earns applause and often makes people uncomfortable.

As a church leader, I want my congregation to love their community of faith. But I also want to challenge them toward Christlikeness rather than simply affirm what they already believe.

Distinguishing between true righteousness and self-righteousness isn’t always easy.

One of my jobs as a pastor is not to tell you everything about faith. While I want to give the people I lead a thorough understanding of the Bible, that usually only has limited results.

A goal for my ministry is always to show people how to develop their own faith. I want them to know how to read the Bible, how to interpret it correctly, and how to apply what they have learned.

I can shout from the stage every week, “Believe this” and “Believe that,” or I can hold their hand while they are discovering what the Bible says on their own.

In my experience, spiritual growth has the longest-lasting impact when people are shown the way to faith and not when they are told what to believe.

This concept appears in fifteen verses in the book of Psalms, five times in Isaiah, and a few other scattered times throughout the Old Testament. Most of the commentaries I read on the passages say the same thing. They encourage us to wait and renew our strength. The concept is that we are tired, and God calls us to wait so that we can be physically and mentally prepared to take off again.

While reading this week, I was struck by something else about this phrase. Another reason that we are called to wait is that we are always running ahead of God.

When my children were little, my wife and I would take the boys for a walk. They would get on their tiny bikes and take off ahead of us. We would specifically say, “You can ride to the next road, and you have to sit and wait at the crosswalk for us.” They always wanted to move at a quicker pace than we could walk, and they loved the freedom of speeding ahead.

Often, the call to wait on the Lord is the response when we have been running ahead of him. We had our own dreams, plans, and desires, and we took off on our own. The stopping is not so much to rest as it is about getting back on God’s timing and plan.

God’s pace always seems slower than mine, and whenever I am tempted to run ahead into the unknown without his guidance, I should stop and wait for him to join me to lead me in the right direction.

A lady in the Church contacted me and wanted to hear my thoughts. A friend of hers wants to attend our Church, but another pastor had told her that our Church was too accepting of everyone. He stated that we have no genuine concern for sin and discipleship.

My response was simple, and I would encourage you to do the same thing I told her. Sit down and read every word of Luke 15. Then tell me what you think about Jesus and his ministry.

Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners, and the religious leaders of his day criticized him for being too accepting. Those people should get themselves cleaned up and their hearts right before they try to be religious. Jesus responds by telling not one, but three parables about the grace of God. They are called the story of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.

With each parable, Jesus keeps reducing the number of participants to underline that every single person is valuable to God. Everyone needs to be found and welcomed into the father’s party.

I firmly believe that people need transformation. We need to become disciples and learn to obey everything Jesus commanded. Transformation is not optional for any believer, especially those in the Church I lead. But before they seek to become like Christ, they first need to come to Jesus. When they do come, I want his people to welcome them with open arms, without judgment and with a message of grace … and transformation. I would rather err on the side of grace than be unwelcoming to a single seeker.

One challenge for every community of believers is to be more like the father in the story of the prodigal son than the older brother. One is filled with a critical spirit, and the other overflows with grace and love. One may be too accepting, but as a sinner, I am thankful for that acceptance.

One of my favorite preachers was talking about how he tries not to use personal stories as illustrations. If he does, he would rather make himself the butt of the joke and not a hero. But occasionally, he has the perfect story from his life to demonstrate his point and help others understand God’s work in the world.

Then he said, “I hate to be autobiographical, but that is how I experience life.”

I have thought about that line for over thirty years. I completely understand what he is saying. While I never want to use my stories to make people think I am something special, I have been a part of some encounters that perfectly illustrate faith. And since I have experienced these things, I want to use them for God.

God has allowed all of us to walk through numerous experiences that have shown us sin and grace. Still others have helped us understand forgiveness and love. Those are your stories, but maybe God gave them to you to share with others, helping them know and understand Him better.

Maynard was a leader in one of the Churches where I served as Pastor. I was young, naïve, and also full of faith. My heart was to reach people with the message of Jesus and lead them to salvation. I was earnestly working toward that goal while neglecting some of the people who were already attending the Church.

This old elder confronted me in a leadership meeting one evening. He wanted an accounting of where I spent all my time. I respectfully declined his request for more administrative busy work. As a self-righteous young pastor, I provided him with a list of reasons why I would not waste my time on something unproductive to the kingdom of God.

The moment I pulled out my list of reasons, I could see Maynard turn red as anger filled his body. His massive six-foot-four-inch frame tightened, and he pointed his finger directly at me. I do not remember every word he said to me. He began by saying he was a leader, and I was required to respect him. Then he attacked my character, calling me an arrogant young man. Finally, and this is what I remember with certainty, his finger came to my chest, and he said, “Don’t ever forget that I pay your salary!”

Without pausing, I said in the sternest voice I could muster, “You do not!” He recoiled with wide eyes as I continued, “God is who makes sure I receive a paycheck, and he will do it with or without you.” He scoffed in reply and said, “But it is my signature that makes it happen.”

Three other elders sat in the room with me in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Richard was always a peacekeeper, and he quickly tried to calm Maynard and change the topic. But, within a week, Maynard resigned and joined arms with Pete to oppose every decision I made for the rest of my time in that Church.

With a new year quickly approaching, I have recently seen numerous articles and podcasts about how much a pastor should be paid. They handle issues like how much, who decides, and how they manage finances with tact and accountability. Also, recently, another Church leader asked me about our pay structure and requested any help in ensuring their Pastor is financially supported.

My response always contains the same nugget of truth I shared years ago. God takes care of my salary. I have always had enough to pay my bills and more than enough to share. Yes, I do need people to evaluate and write the checks, but in the end, I firmly believe that God will provide for me and my family, and I refuse to be manipulated by money. Honestly, I believe this is true for all of us – even you.

One small tip on reading the first 39 books in your Bible is to focus on the history and not the mystery. Too many readers approach the Old Testament like a puzzle box, hunting for hidden prophecies about the end times or secret messages explicitly meant for today.

While all Scripture is God-breathed and beneficial for us, the Old Testament is primarily a historical record of God’s relationship with His people. It’s the story of Israel’s repeated disobedience, God’s warnings of captivity, their refusal to turn from sin, and God’s use of Babylon as an instrument of judgment. Finally, the people are hauled off and remain in a foreign land for 70 years before returning to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple.

Accurate interpretation requires understanding the historical context and circumstances surrounding these writings. When we strip away that context and force the text to speak about our future rather than their past, we open the door to misinterpretation.

The Old Testament has much to teach us, but first, we must let it tell its own story.

We teach what we know.

We reproduce what we are.

Your children, grandchildren, and closest friends are the most accurate mirrors of your true nature.