When I was in college, there was a class called Personal Evangelism. It was the basics about how to share your faith with unbelievers. I was taught biblical insights along with the practical application. One lesson was on a thing called “Evangelism Explosion.” This is a program where you go door to door and ask people questions about their faith.

While the door to door method probably doesn’t work in most communities, one of the questions remains with me. You were to ask the person, “If you were to die tonight and stand before God and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ how would you answer?

This is an excellent question because it reveals what we really believe. It exposes our hearts and ideas about faith and heaven. I fear that today, most people, even in the Church, would say something like, “I am a good person who has done numerous good things for other people.” We could list how we helped with school projects, or went on that mission trip, or were kind to those elderly people next door. We could detail our work with the underprivileged, helping the homeless, and even providing a few meals for those in need. We could explain to God how we never hurt anyone and pointed out those who were doing wrong in our world. Our list of the good things we have done would be long and quite uplifting. In a world of darkness, we tried to be a light.

While this all sounds good, it has two critical flaws. One, it misses all the good things we did not do in our lives. The times we walked by the homeless or got angry at that kid or did nothing in the face of injustice. Two, it misses all the times we did something bad. All the times we lied and cheated to get ahead. All those moments where we were not so good. Our view of ourselves as good people who did good things and so God should allow us into his good heaven is flawed. We are not good enough and not good all the time.

The only answer we can give at the time of judgment is to plea for a Savior. We need someone who can make up for our shortcomings and pay our debt. We need someone to be a mediator between God and us. In short, we need what Jesus offers. The only answer that God will listen to when he decides about your eternal destination is, “I appeal to the work of Jesus, my Savior.”

Our salvation in Jesus is the message of good news that the writers of the New Testament share with us. We are saved by him, FOR good works. Salvation is not based on our good works; rather, they are the result of making him our Savior.

I fear that most believers do not understand this foundational truth of the message of the Church. Instead, the Church is viewed as a civic organization that exists for the good of its community. Reading my social media feed from most Churches, you might believe this to be the only reason this group exists. While I hope the followers of Jesus are a blessing to their community, their primary message is about the salvation offered in Jesus.

When you stand before God and must give an account of your life, your goodness will not be enough to save you. Salvation comes only through Jesus. This is the message of the Church from its inception, and it must remain the message today.

The Webinar is a seminar held on the internet. In the world of the pastor, there are hundreds of them being offered every year on a wide variety of topics. About once a month, I join one of these instructional videos to help me in one area of ministry without ever leaving my office.

Early this year, I decided to view one specifically designed to help pastors with technology in their small Church. It was to mainly focus on websites, social media, podcasts, and a few other random things. I registered. I received an email. I was ready to watch when the time came.

The day and hour arrived, and I clicked on the link provided. My computer opened a viewing page, and nothing was there. I closed the window and went back to the email and tried again. Once more, it led to nothing. I tried four or five times for a few minutes and finally landed on a page that stated, “We are experiencing technical difficulties.” I sat and waited for what seemed like an hour, and I was going to give up when an image popped up. Now, there were people speaking, and I could hear nothing. I tried my speakers, and it didn’t seem to be me. Then suddenly, voices came through my computer, and the words did not match the lips of the people. All this time, there was a message on the bottom of the screen declaring, “We apologize. We are experiencing technical difficulties.”

During this time, the only thing that seemed to be working was a live feed on the right side of the screen. People could type in a question or comment on the material. I watched with delight and horror as the words scrolled down the screen. Twenty minutes into a technology seminar and none of their technology was working made people angry over wasting their time, concerned for the people involved, and a point of humor for those of us less spiritual people.

I think of this event every time I mention the name of Jesus. I want people to know him as their Savior and Lord. I want them to understand the new life I have found and how I am different because of him. I want people to know Jesus. Yet, I continually betray my own cause. Like a webinar on technology that can’t get its technology right is a person who proclaims Jesus but can’t get their life right.

I held on through the twenty minutes of the chaos of the webinar until they got the bugs worked out. I admire them for their willingness to keep working to make it right. Once they had everything fixed, they apologized and tried to make a joke of it before awkwardly moving into their material. The next thirty minutes was good stuff. I took notes, learned new things, and generated good ideas for my ministry. To get the good stuff, I had to look beyond the failures and focus on the possibilities.

My prayer for a Monday is that God will do the same thing with me. That someone will hang on even when I betray my own cause. I want them to listen even when my mouth has betrayed me and said some unchristian things. I want people to hold on through all the junk in my life and try to see the good. Today I ask God to use my life even when I have not seemed to master the material myself. My prayer is that people will look beyond my failures and focus on the possibilities. I ask this for myself and you. Mondays can be full of regrets leftover from the weekend. Just keep plugging away and allow God to work in spite of your flaws.

Some people hate winter. I can understand the sentiment. The weather here in Missouri has been cold, windy, and snowy over the past few weeks. It has been an excellent time to stay inside where it is safe and warm, but we all know that this is just the beginning.

The writers of scripture don’t spend much time discussing the weather. Paul speaks of where he was going to stay through the cold months, and he wanted his friend Timothy to come and visit him before winter (2 Tim 4:21). The Psalmist writes that God created both summer and winter (Psalm 74:17).

I find this a curious notion as many of my conversations at Sunday morning worship have revolved around the topic of the weather for years. These range from the rain we wish would stop, to the rain we wish we would receive. Snow and winter also are hot topics and never escape the dialog of people both before and after they arrive.

Nowhere was the issue of winter more relevant than the five years I spent in Alaska. You prepare for the coming of winter all summer long. We would watch the mountains across that bay received snow that was called a “termination dust” as a sign that winter had almost arrived, and summer was terminated. As the winter wore on, we would complain about the shortness of sunlight and sadness of being trapped inside. The weather shaped not only our conversations but our very lives.

There is a line in Shakespeare’s play Richard III where the character speaks of our winter of discontent. I have been feeling that lately. The weather has made for a great dissatisfaction with life for me and others. Interestingly enough, his line is not one of despair, but of hope. Richard is celebrating his family’s victory and the coming time of peace. The line is about our winter being turned into summer. The frustration of one season will give birth to something new and better. It is so optimistic that is it reminds me of a line from the Apostle Paul.

In Philippians chapter four, Paul tells the Church that they need to learn to be content whatever the circumstances. He qualifies that with statements like whether we are in need or have plenty. Maybe he could have said, in winter and in summer. Then next he says, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Finally, he gives us the key ingredient, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13).”

As winter settles onto our land, do not let it sink into your heart. God will get you through, and he will turn your winter of discontent into a summer of blessing. So when the wind cuts like a knife, the snow hits your face, and the kids are sick another day; Trust that God will give you the strength to make it through another day, and summer is right around the corner.

The phone started vibrating. I glanced at it and looked away. For a moment, there was a guilty feeling. I thought, “Maybe I should answer. They know I have a cell phone with me all the time. What will they say if I don’t answer? I bet they will be mad.” Then I went back to my conversation. Within moments the call was done, and I glance to see that there was no voicemail. Nothing.

While I was holding the phone for a second, the phone started vibrating again – the same person. A second call, I thought, “It must be an emergency. I should probably get it this time.” I then wondered why they did not leave a voicemail. If it were important, surely they would have left a voicemail and kept trying. I placed the phone back on the table, and the vibration ended.

After about 15 minutes passed, the phone started vibrating a third time. This time my frustration level growing. I looked again, and it was the exact same person. This time I thought about answering and yelling or voicing my frustration. Instead, I placed it back on the table and ignored the call.

At this point in my story, you are probably having one of two thoughts. One is about my relationship with the caller. You might think that I don’t like that person or do not want to talk to them. Maybe I am angry, or I owe them money. None of those are the case. It was a friend with whom I have a good relationship.

The other thought is about me as a person. You might be thinking, “What a jerk. Answer your phone. Why have a phone if you are not answering when someone calls? What if it was an emergency? What if someone’s world is falling apart, and they need you?”

Now back to my story, I didn’t answer my phone because I was out with my family at dinner for my son’s birthday. Sure, I could have taken the call, but I wanted to be fully engaged with my family. I probably would not even have my phone with me in that situation, but there is the possibility of an emergency, and I would have answered if one of about ten numbers had called. Otherwise, my night was given to my family. Completely.

Here is a little piece of truth I want you to hold onto today; It is okay to be unavailable. In fact, I would encourage you to accept this as a preferred way to live. Just because you have a phone does not mean everyone gets an equal share of your time. Your spouse, your children, your parents, your family, and even your God need your attention. Everything else is a periphery.

Today I want to set you free. Let go of those feelings of guilt for not answering the phone. It is okay not just to put your phone on vibrate but to even shut it off occasionally. You need a break. Other people need you. You need to be free to enjoy the moments that God gives you.

I know for some of you this is not difficult. You don’t get the phone thing anyway. For others, this is terrifying. Know this, those who love you the most will find it a blessing in every way.

If you ask most people who are divorced when they knew it was over, they can give you an exact moment. At the very least, there is a story they can point to where they knew they were in trouble. Through the years, I have asked dozens of divorced people, “When did you know it was over?” and they have given me the details of an interaction.

Interestingly, most of the time, it is not a story you would picture as being the end. It is not when he yelled and broke the dish. It was not when she admitted to an affair. It happened when they were talking, and something was said that was completely unexpected. One lady told me about dating for a few years, and on their wedding night, he took out the Gideon’s Bible and started reading it and making fun of it. For the next eight years, they were married; she could never shake the image. Another gentleman told me a conversation his wife was having with their children about how they need to get an education and not end up in a dead-end, manual labor job like daddy. Through the years, he had paid all the bills, put her through college, and suddenly he was a second-class citizen. He tried to stay together for the kids, but it fizzled as he could never shake that one conversation. I could go on and on listing people who saw or heard something that became this watershed moment in their marriage.

Here is the scary part, most married people I know hold onto a story like that in their mind. It is quite possible that you have this one encounter in the back of your mind that you are keeping as photographic proof that you are justified if your marriage ends. You have some horrific tale that you keep logged away that could become “that moment” when you knew it was over.

My advice to you today is simple. If you are married, then you need to let go of that moment. You need to forgive. You need to decide to not focus on it anymore. You need to write a new story into your mind. You need to focus on the positive. You need to talk about what happened with your spouse. You need to speak with a trusted Christian friend. You need to pray that God will overcome that moment. You need to seek counseling. You need to do everything within your power to remove that incident from being such a permanent fixture in your mind.

Here is what I am telling you; if you do not address that moment, it will eventually destroy your marriage. One day you will be telling your pastor about what happened and how you knew it would never work out. You will have a story to prove your spouse was a miserable person, and you were justified to end the relationship.

There is another choice, though. You can decide to work on that one scene from your marriage. You can focus your attention and find healing. You can find a reason to stay together that is far greater than any other moment. Sure, they may be numerous things wrong with your marriage, but getting past that one moment is the key to dealing with them all. Please, I beg you in the name of Jesus, work on it today.

Recently a friend asked me if I had written a post about what I say to my children after they have participated in a sporting event. While I have written on similar topics, I have never addressed this thoroughly. This I probably best because my words have changed through the years. Walking through sports with four boys and being down to my last year and a half of their participation has changed me. My views are different than 15 years ago when we started into youth sports. As a long-time sports parent and a Christian, here is what I say after the game.

1. Did you have fun? Somewhere along the way, sports became something serious. Listen, it is a game. It is meant to be fun. If it is not fun, you should not participate.
2. How do you feel? This is a two-fold question. First, how do they feel physically? When you take sports too seriously, your child will not tell you about their physical pain for fear of missing a game and disappointing you. Second, how are they emotionally? Coaches, teammates, and fans can be brutal with their words. Ask and let them share.
3. Tell me about your favorite play. My kids have lost games by 50 points and still had fun. This is because there was that one play where they did that one thing, and it made them happy. They want to tell you about their joy.
4. Did the coaches tell you anything on which to work? Do you feel there is anything you need to do better? This will often allow them to talk about their worst play. Coach says I need to do blank better is often inspired by their most embarrassing moment. Get it out into the open and talk about it. Acknowledge the mistake so that they can move on with their life.
5. I Love You. I want my kids to know how I feel about them, no matter the outcome of the game. If they made the mistake that led to the other team winning, who cares? It is youth sports. My relationship with them will last long into the future when these games are barely a memory.

These are the most basic things I talk to my children about after a game. Sometimes all of these come up naturally and occasionally just two or three of them. These are the topics that always guide my conversations. I have quit trying to offer coaching advice unless asked. I might share insight into something I saw, again, only if asked. I keep stats at games so they can evaluate themselves on facts and not emotions. These days I always try to stay positive, win or lose.

One final word for all parents: I plead with you to not take sports too seriously. I have raised four incredibly gifted athletes, and three of them spoke with colleges about scholarships. It is a complete scam that colleges are running. They are not what you think. Unless your kid is an incredible physical specimen that is one of the top three players in your state, their scholarship opportunities are worthless. It will be a few thousand dollars for a way overpriced private school. I guarantee it will not be worth the money you spend, the time lost, and the headaches you endure for all those weekends of travel sports. Those events are offered to make money off you. You MUST understand this is true to enjoy this time with your children.

I pray you will allow your kids to enjoy this part of their life should they chose to play sports. I hope my words are an encouragement to you. May the Lord bless you as you live for him while raising teens in today’s highly competitive world.

Recently I was reading through the book of Acts, and I noticed something I had missed in previous trips through it. Quite often I have spoken about the message of the early Church. Acts 4:20 says that the Apostles spoke about what they had “seen and heard.” This is a critical line. The Apostles did not travel around talking about what they believed; rather, they spoke about what they believed happened. Their sermons were lessons about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, of which they were witnesses.

For the first time, I noticed a different statement in Act 5:20. The New International Version of the Bible 2011 says, “tell people all about this new life.” Other translations say something like “tell them the whole message about this life.” It appears in the original Greek is “speak all the words of this life.” So, there is a little unclarity on how exactly to translate it accurately, but the critical thing to notice is the topic of their preaching in this story.

Peter and his companions are told by an angel to go and speak to the people. This time their words will not be only about the death and resurrection of Jesus, although I am sure they talked about that topic too; instead, it will focus on the life transformation of those who follow him.

One of the vital messages of the Christian faith is that following Jesus should be life transformative. It is not merely a call to believe in the historical events of his death, resurrection, and ascension, although those are intricate to salvation. The gospel contains within it a primary appeal to have your life radically changed as you follow Jesus.

This has almost limitless points of application for us. Those who call themselves Christians will be more loving, forgiving, encouraging, humble, compassionate, kind, gentle, and self-controlled. They will serve, give, and work for the good of God’s kingdom and not their own. Someone who believes that Jesus came, lived, died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day will attempt to live like Jesus every day in every way.

The Apostles are told to stand up and tell others about this new life. It should be a part of the message of the gospel. We do not just have a Savior, but that Savior wants to transform our lives. We should speak about it just like they did in Acts chapter 5.

What I know is your most powerful testimony to this truth will not be your words but your life. It is one thing to speak of the difference Jesus can make in your life and quite another to show it to others by your actions. Actions will always speak louder than words. Everything you do will show people what you really believe about Jesus. May your message this week be that Jesus has the power to offer us a new and better life. I pray your days are transformed by his grace.

Here are some of the best articles I have read over the past three weeks. Enjoy.

6 Members Who Build Up the Church – True. Very true

Does Your Church Offer Weak Community? – Something I have been saying for years and trying to find a remedy to it.

Reactions to John Crist’s Moral Failings Demonstrate Our Culture’s Confusion about Christianity

Eight reasons why introverts make great leaders – Yes and Yes.

Why Your Pastor Doesn’t Have Friends

Trajectory is defined as the direction an object takes under a given set of forces. We usually think of trajectory when it comes to missiles, bullets, and arrows. It is an equally good word to use in a discussion of your life. What is the trajectory your life is taking under the current forces working on it?

1. What is the trajectory of your faith? If you keep doing when you are doing right now, where will your faith end up in 10, 20, or 30 years? Will you have made a more significant impact on the world for God or be less of a factor? Will you be following Jesus more closely or be further away?
2. What is the trajectory of your marriage? If you are to continue living with your spouse the same way you do today, where will your marriage be in the future? Will you be more deeply committed or divorced?
3. What is the trajectory of your parenting? Will you have well-behaved Christ-followers who bring honor to their God and their parents in the future? Will you have children whom you must bail out of situations as they are only concerned for themselves?

Maybe these are not the most applicable to you, so you will need to fill in your own area. It can be your relationships with your parents, friends, coworkers, or anyone significant.

Where is your life headed? What path are you on in your faith, relationships, and every other area?

We tend to lie to ourselves and create some fictitious barriers. We tell ourselves that when the kids get past the toddler phase, everything will be better. When the children are no longer teens, everything will improve. We think that when we have more time, more money and are finally able to retire, life will be beautiful. Then we get there, and it is not what we thought.

Those factors are not what is keeping you from a closer walk with God, an intimate marriage or fantastic relationships. What is keeping you from those things are the decisions you make every day. You don’t wake up one day with deep faith; you make decisions day after day to move closer to your goal. You don’t magically have a great marriage when the kids are gone. It is the result of the work you do to talk, communicate, and connect now. Your relationship with your kids doesn’t improve the day they reach a certain age. It is the result of little deposits of time today, tomorrow, and every day into the future.

Your life is either on track to hit your goals or miss them. The coordinates are set. Your life is flying that direction. Are you happy with the ultimate destination? If not, today could be the first day of the life of which you have always dreamed. Make the adjustments necessary and change the trajectory before you hit your mark.

While I was growing up, my parents would put out Christmas decorations each year. One of those beloved decorations was an old black leather Bible with gold trim. It was placed on the coffee table and opened to the book of Luke. I don’t remember my parents ever explicitly saying, “Don’t touch it,” but it certainly was implied.

That image marked my life for many years. I believed the Bible was the sacred book that we needed to handle with white gloves and a delicate hand. This type of thinking was underlined by a Sunday School teacher that I admired telling us that she never let any other book or object lay on top of her Bible. Slowly this sort of idolatrous image of the Bible came to stand at the forefront of my mind.

I am not the only one who feels this way. Through the years, I have had numerous people come to me and say, “I have a Bible that is falling apart. What should I do with it?” When I mention the possibility of throwing it in the trash, they prepare to call their friends and burn me at the stake. The idea of throwing away a Bible is sacrilegious at best and pure evil at worst.

Recently I overheard a person in the congregation I lead say something like this, “I would never mark in my Bible, because it was a gift from my grandmother, and is just too special.” While I appreciate the sentiment, this is not actually a good thing. Your view of the Bible as a book might be keeping you from growing spiritually.

My suggestion to people is to take a lesser view of the printed pages of the Bible. In the realm of paper and ink, it is just a book. It can be used, marked up, written in, highlighted, and even thrown away. If those concepts scare you, then my response is along this line, “Do you love it as a book or the content of the book?” If you love the content, you will read it and know it; otherwise, you are falling for a Christian idolatry of valuing paper and ink over the knowledge of God.

Take grandma’s Bible and put it on the shelf. Then go to the store or amazon and buy a cheaply printed, easy to read translation of the Bible (something like ESV, NIV, NKJV, or NASB). Then dive into the pages with reckless abandon. Underline things that speak to you, highlight common themes, write on the page margins, and do whatever else makes the pages come alive. Then when you are finished, throw it away and start the process over.

I started this practice five years ago at the prompting of a college professor. He bought Bibles by the box and would read and highlight different topics, noticing the kingdom of God or all the parables or whatever he chose to focus on that time through. When he finished, the old one was thrown away, and the process started again. I have never known a man who knew his Bible more. He carried a five-dollar Bible and cared little about its paper or ink. He focused on understanding its content.

Perhaps one of the greatest things you can do on your spiritual journey it to think less of the Bible as a grand religious book and more as God’s love letter made available for you to read.