Some days I feel like a crazy person. I feel like the things that I am thinking are odd and unique to me alone. Surely, no one has felt the way, or I feel of thought the way I am thinking?

Have you ever felt that way? Felt alone on a sea of odd thoughts and strange feelings?

When that happens, I have found that two phrases can help me more than any others.

1. I have thought or felt that way too. I find a sense of peace in knowing that other people don’t have everything figured out. I remember hearing an old preacher mention his struggle with lust over his whole ministry. He told of how he thought like an average guy while trying to live a Godly life. At that moment, I no longer felt alone. Someone knew me. I didn’t feel crazy or like a failure. I felt like a normal human struggling with the sin we find in this world.

2. I have never thought of felt that, but … You can end this sentence in a variety of positive ways. I have never felt that way, but I can see that you are struggling. I have never thought that way, but I can see how you could reach that conclusion. I do not know what you are going through, but I am here if you need to talk it through.

There is a line in the movie version of “Shadowlands,” a story about C.S. Lewis, in which a character says, “We read to know we are not alone.” I often think of that quote as people are talking to me. We share our thoughts and feelings to know we are not alone.

There is this temptation in every one of us to try to fix people’s perceived problems. We want to teach them so that they think like I do. We want to make a difference in the lives of people we know and love and quite often that translates into lectures about how to think and feel. What if we make the biggest difference when we try to identify with their struggles instead of trying to correct them immediately?

Then again, maybe I am the only person who thinks this way.

Over time I am slowly dropping the phrase “a relationship with Jesus” from my religious dialog.

I used to use it all the time. The analogy of the Christian faith went something like this: Faith in Jesus is not a religion but a relationship. The idea was that as a follower of Jesus you did not have a bunch of meaningless religious practices to participate in, rather a savior to connect to personally. I have said something about a “relationship with Jesus” more times that I care to recall.

Lately, I have been using the concept of a journey instead. I like to speak of all of us being on a journey with God. Either we are far away from him, and he is waiting for us to join him, or we are near, and we are walking side by side. I have slowly replaced saying we need to have a relationship with Jesus to we need to walk with Jesus on our journey with God.

Here is why I am changing my words and image.

1. Most People Do Very Little in Relationships. If you were to ask most men what they are doing to build their relationship with their wife you will be greeted with blank stares and confused looks. What do you mean build a relationship? We work and take care of things, and if the other person is mad, then we try to make them happy again. Usually, the only individuals who talk about working on their relationship are having a difficult time. When I view my life with God as a relationship, it can easily mean that I spend most of my time doing nothing to grow. That is until there is some crisis in my life.

2. A Journey Is a Daily Project. If you are on a trip then every day you must pack up your stuff and get moving. You have places to go and things to see. A journey requires you to keep moving one step at a time day after day in the right direction. Faith is active. Every day you are expected to go forward in knowledge, in service, and in hope. There is an expectation that today we may see and do things that we have never experienced before.

3. A Relationship Can Be Viewed Very Selfishly. What’s in it for me? When will my dinner be ready? Have you cleaned my house? Have you taken care of me? If you don’t, then I am out the door. I have encountered people whose marriage is all about what they can get out of it. I have also viewed Christian people who have the same concept of faith. What has God done for me? If he doesn’t make me happy, then I am out of here.

4. A Journey Has a Destination. When someone heads out on a journey, they hope to end up somewhere better and more exciting that where they are now. The reason we endure airports, long delays, uncomfortable seats and high prices are because of where that plane takes us. The reason we sit for hours in a vehicle with whining kids while eating fast food is that when we arrive at the beach, it will be priceless. The reason Christians live with sacrifice and service are because one day we hope to arrive at our own little slice of heaven.

I know there is a lot more I could say about these two images. The contrasts can be kind of interesting.

Maybe I am making a big deal about a small thing, but I feel the analogies we use are important. I do not want anyone to get the wrong idea of what it means to follow Jesus. Yes, Christianity is about a relationship with God through Jesus, but that relationship is not about setting up a house in the suburbs and living the American dream. That relationship is about locking arms with Jesus on the journey of a lifetime that will take us places we never dreamed until the day we reach our new home.

I was waiting for my boys to come out of the locker room after the game. They were taking their time, and everyone else was quickly clearing out, so I soon found myself almost alone. A little bored I began to look in the trophy case.

In the case, I found there were trophies of all sizes. Large trophies from placing high in State competition to small ones for local tourneys. I also noticed that these rewards were given for all kinds of activities. They ranged from clubs to sports to academics. The dates for these prizes ranged from recent dates clear back to the 1950’s. It was an eclectic collection of wood and metal for achievements from student’s high school careers.

I noticed three things about the trophy case and the contents it held.

First – of the making of awards there is no end. Honestly, I thought the best part of this collection is that it keeps some people employed somewhere. Every year there are more trophies to make for the next group of teens who come along. As long as there are students, there will be prizes to be handed out.

Second – No one besides me cared at that moment. I am sure those trophies were once held high as great achievements from hard work and dedication. I am sure there were individuals who had spent hours practicing and preparing to receive their prize. They represented teams that practiced and practiced until they hurt from their commitment. Now, as people stood in that hallway waiting no one even looked beside me. With no personal connection and experience, these splendid little creations were just metal and wood.

Third – The dust on each was thick. I am not mad at some janitor for their lack of work to keep the case clean. I sure it is a huge job. That was not my thought process. I was focused on how these prizes were once considered invaluable. There was a moment when a person or a group of people accomplished something they thought would hold an enormous impact on their life. Now there were old possessions that no one cared to tend to anymore.

My final thoughts were very clear, “How much sacrifice did these trophies represent?” There were families that gave up money and time to make put these trophies in the case. There were people who missed families events, skipped Church and lost sleep to obtain these rewards. There were individuals who gave selflessly in every way so that each trophy could be in that case. The final result was that no one cared anymore.

The words of the Apostle Paul clearly came to my mind as I stood there that night. 1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

Following Jesus requires the same hard work and dedication it took to get those trophies. We do it to obtain a crown that will not collect dust but the crown of eternal life.

When you decide what you are going to give your time, money and talent to, I ask that you would stand in front of a trophy case and ask, “Is it really worth it?”

Every complex machine is composed of a number of little nuts and bolts that hold it all together. Ministry in the Church is very much the same way. Worship on Sunday, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Christmas, and Easter are all significant parts of the overall Christian machine, but those are all held together by a series of smaller items.

1. Church Communications – Every week is an attempt to communicate the events and activities in the life of a Church. Here at ACC, we use the printed program each week. I encourage everyone to read it thoroughly, especially the announcements as we are continually adding new ones and updating old ones. We also have an email newsletter that goes out the first week of the month. The third option for us is our website. I personally help update the site each week with the most up-to-date info. Next is Facebook. If you follow the Adrian Christian Church page, then you will receive notice of our posting on there also. Finally, is an announcement at the beginning of the program. I limit those items I share each week to just one. Each week I try using one, two or even all of these forms of communication to keep everyone informed of activities in the life of the Church. It is everyone’s responsibility to read what we write and listen to what is said.

2. The Connection Card – Every week we have a “Connection Card” either attached or inserted into the program. This is a great way for you to communicate with the Church. There is a spot for your name and mailing info. New guests will receive a card thanking them for a visit. Longtime members can use the space to update me on changes in address, phones number or email. There is also a spot on the card for prayer requests. These are emailed to our prayer team on Monday and placed in the program on the next Sunday. Third, there are a series of places you can mark if you would like more information. A connection card is a simple place for you to keep connected with the office and the minister, just drop the card in the offering plate, and it will end up on my desk.

3. Personal Contact – There are two great ways to talk to me personally. First is immediately after the worship program. I always remain at the front of the auditorium for 5-10 minutes after worship so you can catch me there. There I can talk, pray or just plan a meeting for later. The second way to reach me is at the Church office. I am here Monday through Thursday from 8:00 till at least 3:00 unless there is an emergency. You can call the office and schedule an appointment, or you can just drop by anytime. Each week I have 1-3 meetings so sometimes it is best to schedule a time with a quick phone call. I am always willing to talk and help each of you out.

I know these seem like such tiny parts to the Church, but each one is vital. We can have a fantastic event planned, but if you no one knows about it then we will have a failure. You may be going through a big life event, but if you do not tell anyone, then I may never know so that I can pray and help. The success or failure of any part of Church is connected to these simple nuts and bolts that hold it all together. They may seem insignificant, but trust me, without them it all falls apart.

Here is your thought for a Sunday afternoon. May God bless you all.

Here are some the best things I have read this week. I hope you enjoy.

Why Going To Church Every Week Matters

5 Things No One Ever Told Me Would Destroy My Marriage

The Day My Child Lost Her Joy—and What I Did to Revive It

Former lesbian on why it’s ‘cruel’ for Church leaders to go soft on same-sex relationships

I have been the minister at Adrian Christian Church for almost three years. What may surprise you is that it almost didn’t happen.

My family and I had moved to Alaska to serve at a Church in Homer and live the adventure of the last frontier. It was a grand experience but was not without complications. It is hard living so far away from family and the months of cold with darkness are hard emotionally. After we had hit the four-year mark, we knew it was time to leave. I sent out resumes all over the country in the hopes of relocating to a new ministry. No less than five ministries showed interest in having me as their leader. One by one I handled interviews and prayed through the process. Finally, my family, had it narrowed down to a Church in Southern Indiana and this one in Missouri.

With every Church interview, I continually heard that they felt I lived too far away. It would be expensive to move us, and the search team had decided to go another direction. One by one I had scratched potential Churches off the list until only Adrian Christian Church was left.

One evening after work I was heading home when I received a call telling me that even they had decided on another candidate. It was a Tuesday night, and I did not get emotional. I took their answer and told my wife, and we resigned ourselves to God wanting us to stay in Alaska.

Then on Wednesday I received another call from the Church and asked if I was still interested in the position as their other candidate had accepted a call to another Church. Without hesitation, I stated that I would still like to be considered for the position. One thing led to another, and I set up, and date for a trial sermon and the rest is history.

I suppose I have a choice on how I can view this experience in my life. I could spend my life here in resentment as their second choice. I could always harbor ill feelings of rejection.

The other choice is to embrace the situation. See that God so wanted me here that he removed the other candidate from being an obstacle. He opened doors that appeared closed. He worked behind the scenes to bring me to the place he wanted me to serve.

It seems our perspective on the events of our life is as important as the encounters themselves. You can go through life seeing that God is against you with every setback or you can see him redirecting you each time.

I know I have chosen the latter view of my rejection and acceptance to be the preacher at Adrian Christian Church. I am happy and content with the life God has brought me to.

What view will you take?

Last Thursday I wrote a post entitled “Five Vital Things I Want My Children to Know About Church.” I have thought a great deal about that article and wanted to do a follow-up about a life of faith in general.

Here are some keys I want my children and you to know.

1. Faith is a marathon and not a sprint. This journey will last the rest of your life. The only way to survive is through regular daily discipline. It is great to read the Bible over a month, but it is better to read a little each day for 60 years. It is great to take an hour to pray during a difficult season, it is better to pray 5 minutes a day for 50 years. Serve selflessly every chance you get but pace yourself so that your service will last a lifetime.

2. God is never late, but also never early. One day you will ask God to show up. Soon you will begin to beg him. Then you will get desperate and convince yourself that he will never show up. At the moment, when you are about ready to give up, God will show up in a big way and answer your prayers better than you ever imagined. It will frustrate you and yet teach you patience. This will happen over and over in your life.

3. Failure is inevitable. Accept forgiveness. One day you will do something you never thought you were capable of doing. You will fail your God, yourself and possibly someone you love. You will hurt like never before. The brokenness you will feel is indescribable. God still loves you. He still offers forgiveness. You will need to accept it. You will need to believe it in your soul so that you can forgive yourself. You will need to walk in the grace and love of God, or your scars will never heal.

4. Your actions reveal what you really believe. It doesn’t really matter how many times you have prayed or attended Church. It doesn’t matter how many times you have read your Bible. Faith is not measured by our knowledge or our intentions. There have been thousands of people who have known the right things to do and yet not done it. Real faith is about action. It is about knowing the right thing to do and then going out and doing it. Anyone can talk a good game; the real thing walks the talk.

5. Most people you know will quit their faith. In John 6 Jesus preaches a sermon on “The Bread of Life.” The people are disappointed that he doesn’t just give them bread, and they clearly understand that he is calling them to a total life commitment. The end of the story is that crowd quickly leaves Jesus. One of the greatest surprises of this journey of faith is the number of people going the other way. They will get distracted by something momentary. They will give into to the temptations that surround them without restraint. They will simply get busy, and they will get bored. Stand strong despite the steady flow of people heading the wrong way.

I really wish I could write an article about how wonderful is the life of faith. The reality is that is both surprisingly hard and wonderful at the same time. It takes both brains and spiritual strength to make this journey of faith. One day you will look back in amazement at the journey God has taken you on through the years. Hang on, I know God has great plans for all of you.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up anytime someone says they will not help with a ministry at the Church because “they need to be fed.” The statement is derived from the concept that to keep growing spiritually, you need to set quietly in a worship program. I find this type of thinking so troubling because as a Church leader I rarely ever just sit in a worship program at my Church.

I believe that spiritual growth is a lot like physical growth. The older you get, the more you should be able to feed yourself. In fact, a sign of maturity is that you can take care of yourself. Then having someone else feeds you becomes a special treat and not a place of dependence.

So how does a person, like me, keep themselves growing spiritually? Let me give you a few thoughts.

1. Personal Daily Quiet Time. I have a simple plan to read 3-5 chapters out of the Bible 5 days a week. The length varies depending on the length and topic of the chapters. Right now, I am in the Psalms, and usually, I can read 5 of them in 15 minutes or less. This one practice has allowed me to read the Bible 3 full times in the last 5 years. I couple that Bible reading with 10-15 minutes of prayer time. Again, the time varies with the seasons and needs at the moment. Each day I start off with doing these two simple practices.

2. Read Blogs. I have a blog reader called “Feedly.” (There are several other versions). After my quiet time is done, I sit and read through about 125 blogs. Some of them get the immediate delete button. My list of blogs I read is greatly varied from Christian writers so an article on “Things a mother needs to know about daughters” gets deleted since I am not a mother and have no daughters. Other articles get skimmed for big ideas. Still, others get read deeply. Finally, others get saved for future reference. Many of these I share on here each Saturday. These little one page articles challenge me as a pastor, man, father, and Christian. One post just today challenged me to trust God’s providence over myself. Good stuff to help grow.

3. Read books. I admit that I used to read more books than I do today. A number of modern books disappoint me. I prefer to read books that have been around a while and still have an impact. These are timeless treasures of spiritual growth.

4. Podcasts. A substantial number of Churches post their sermons online. With iTunes, I can pick a favorite Church or speaker and hear their sermons every week. For me, they are automatically set up to be downloaded and then listened to at my convenience. Every week I can listen to the best preachers from the biggest Churches or from Bible college chapels with ease.

5. Attend Elsewhere. There are two things that help me to grow outside of my normal routine. One is going to conferences. I try to do this at least once a year. Last year I went to a men’s conference with my son. This year I am looking at one by Andy Stanley. The other source I use might surprise you. I like to occasionally take a Saturday night and attend a larger Church somewhere. At Easter this year I was feeling in need of some added growth time, so my wife and I went to a nearby Church and sat and enjoyed the worship without the stress of leading. This helped me to stay fresh going into the service at our own Church.

The wonderful part of being a believer today is that there are so many resources. We have study Bibles, books, blogs, podcasts, magazines, conferences and a dozen other things to help us grow spiritually. The resources are out there for you. With a little effort, you can keep yourself growing while still be able to help feed a few other people who are new to the faith.

What works for you? What would you add to my list?

Let’s be honest. Some sermons are either not very well prepared or presented. I have heard them, and I have preached them. Even the best preachers in the world have some weeks that just fall flat. I thought an idea was good. I put together a sermon I found interesting, but something was wrong. Eyes glossed over, and people started the head nod that comes not from approval but from their battle with sleep. I have repeatedly said that it is difficult to come up with 52 educational, engaging and challenging sermons each year. All of us preachers are bound to have some boring ones sooner or later.

If that is the truth, what do you do during a boring sermon? Even if it is not boring, it might be on a topic of which you have little interest. What do you do when the sermon is not connecting? How do you get something spiritual out of the time you have invested? Here are some tips for your future.

1. Read the Scripture. Many sermons are based off one passage of scripture. I focus my attention on that passage and read it. I read the passage ahead of it and behind it. Maybe God wants me to hear something from these stories, and I want to make sure I am fully listening.

2. Take Notes. I always have a pen and paper with me when I hear someone speak. I write down the speaker’s main points and scripture references. I try to totally engage in the sermon even when the preacher is losing me.

3. Write Down Any Random Ideas that Come to Mind. Sometimes a statement in a sermon will spark something else in my mind. I recently heard a boring sermon, but he said one line that made it all worthwhile. I have gotten several sermon and blog ideas while listening to a boring sermon – including this one.

4. Pray for the Preacher. When all else fails, I begin to pray for the preacher, the rest of the sermon and the other people listening. What is being said may not hold interest for me, but I pray someone is being blessed by the preacher’s words. I ask God to do a miracle in the auditorium. Honestly, I have even prayed that prayer in my mind when one of my sermons was going poorly. “Please God, let someone get something out of this” is a valid prayer.

5. Do an Internal Inventory. Ask yourself, “Is the reason I am not engaged the preacher’s issue or mine?” Are you distracted from the things of God? Maybe the problem is not the preacher, maybe it is me. Do I need more rest? Are there sins that need to be addressed? Do I have the right attitude toward God and his word? Sometimes the best thing I can do it think through my own spiritual life.

Let’s be honest. It can be hard to sit still and stay awake through a long and boring sermon. We have all been there, even people in my congregation. Since you have set aside time to be at Church or listen to a sermon you might as well make it productive for yourself spiritually.

What do you do when the sermon gets boring? (Be gentle with me:-)