Here are the best blogs I have read this week. I hope you enjoy them too.

Back to the Beginning: 15 Things About Me That Are Also True About You

CAN’T I JUST FOLLOW JESUS AND NOT JOIN A CHURCH?

4 THINGS JESUS BECAME, SO WE MIGHT BECOME

Church Member! Fight to Attend Your Church Weekly!

“MOM/DAD, I’M NOT SURE I WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN ANYMORE…”

G. K. Chesterton on the Freedom of Seeing Beyond Yourself – I love this quote by Chesterton

This weekend our Church along with hundreds of thousands across the country will hold a worship program on Sunday morning. If you are considering going this weekend let me share two separate thoughts.

1. You might not want to go to Church …

If you think it makes you better than other people.
If you think it will make you right with God.
If you see it as a type of penance for the wrongs you have done recently.
If you feel it is required to make God happy.
If you are only going for family and friends.
If you are trying to hide the mess you are making of your life privately.
If you have no desire to grow spiritually.

2. You might want to go to Church …

If you long to worship God.
If you desire to sing the praises of our Savior.
If you long to meet and connect with other believers.
If you want to know the needs of others and pray with and for them.
If you want to spend time reflecting on the work of Jesus on the cross.
If you are interested in knowing a little of what the Bible says.
If you want to grow spiritually in some way.

I know this weekend that many people will show up to a Church worship program with the wrong heart and mind. They will make this Sunday an extension of their own selfish and misguided lives.

I also know that many people will show up with pure motives and loving hearts. They will have a longing in their soul for something deeply spiritual that only Jesus can fill.

Oddly enough, I still want both groups to come. I hope and pray that the first group will hear the truth and be convicted. I hope they will change and experience the freedom of Christ. I hope they will see the other group and notice the joy that Jesus gives to them. I want them to come and spend time in the presence of God and his people. Otherwise, I do not know how they are ever truly going to know God.

Even if you are not completely right in your spiritual walk, there is still room for you at worship this Sunday. Even if you are not sure what you are doing and why you are doing it, there is still a seat for you. I really want to see ALL of you there this Sunday.

I have never been into genealogies or family history. Then my mom pulled a tub out from under her bed that my father had kept through the years. Dad kept old family pictures of people I never knew existed. There were pictures of his aunts and uncles, many of whom had died before I was ever born. There were collected bits and pieces of the past couple generations of my family. I found it fascinating to discover a little family history and fill in some blank spaces in my mind.

The most interesting piece was a newspaper clipping from a 1932 newspaper. It was the story of my great, great-grandfather. His name was Isaac Goladay and one of his daughters was named Ella, and she married Wallace Harris. Wallace was the father of Earnest, who was the father of Fred, who was my father.

Isaac was the last surviving Civil War veteran living in Walnut Township of Montgomery County Indiana upon his death. That is where the story takes an interesting turn that I never knew. This one newspaper clipping gave all the details.

Apparently, my great, great-grandfather had grown deaf over time. It ‘s nice to know some traditions continued clear to me. Then one faithful day, he was trying to cross the railroad track, and he did not hear the train coming. Once he was on the tracks, he saw the train but was too feeble to get back over the rail before getting hit. That’s right, my great, great-grandfather was struck and killed by a train.

The article went on to tell about his life in New Ross, Indiana and his surviving family. Within this one column was a second interesting paragraph. There is stated that before his death he had spent several months in a sanitarium. Okay, what? My mother explained to me that a sanitarium could have been for something like Tuberculosis or another disease. It could also mean he was going crazy. It is possible it could have been the result of a primitive diagnosis of dementia or even Alzheimer’s disease. No matter how you look at it, it does not paint a pretty picture.

Reading this one piece of newspaper that had been kept for 85 years was an eye-opening experience. My heritage is a civil war veteran who went deaf and possibly crazy until he was hit by a train. It reminds me why I have never been interested in my ancestry, I mean, who knows what you will find if you dig deep enough.

Then I was thought of the genealogy of Jesus in the book of Matthew. His record mentions Rahab, who is considered to be a harlot or prostitute. It mentions the wife of Uriah. That is a reference to Bathsheba who David had an affair with and then plotted to have Uriah killed. It also mentions kings who were not so Godly and helped to make a mess of a nation. Even Jesus family tree had a couple of knots.

I think we continually need to be reminded that we are not just the product of our past. This applies to your family history. Whoever your ancestors were may have helped you to be born here, affected how you look and even your social status, but that is only your beginning. You have the freedom to choose your own path. Whatever mistakes were in your family history are not your defining attribute.

You may be the product of your family’s history, but the future belongs to you. God specializes in taking misfit families and turning them into his family. Always allow God to shape your future far more than anything in your past.

Edmond Burke was an Irish Statesman who moved to London and became a member of Parliament. He once corresponded with another gentleman over the sad state of their country. In their exchange, he wrote a now-famous quote.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke

One of my biggest frustrations in ministry is not working with unqualified people. It is trying to lead unwilling people. People who would rather do nothing than failing at something.

If you feel unqualified, I can train you. I can give you resources, send you video links, and connect you with a more experienced person. I can support you, and I can pray for you. I can help you to feel more qualified.

If you are unwilling, what can I do? I can educate you about the need. I can try to motivate you. I can cheer or shout or cry, but will that change your heart?

Someone who is unqualified will have their heart race and their knees shake as they step out into the unknown and do their best. People who are unwilling, make excuses and are never pushed into the difficult situation.

The Church moves forward all over the world with unqualified people. Evil triumphs when people are unwilling to anything. Which group are you a part of today?

I was in 5th grade when Jack and Diane fell in love. John Cougar was an Indiana boy, and we didn’t know at that time he had changed his name or actually reduced it. His song of a young couple in love filled our classroom every day. One boy loved the little ditty so much that he played it over and over again on my boom box. Finally, the teacher yelled at him to “find another song.”

The other day the song came on the radio, and I listened to it for the first time in years. While I was initially drawn into the love story of two American kids growing up in the heartland, I now was caught by something else. The chorus is a depressing look at life and the years that lie ahead for both Jack and Diane. It declares simply, “Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.”

Now in my middle forties and having recently lost my dad the words of the song hit me like never before. Eventually, the thrills of being a teenager with a wild and free attitude disappear. I don’t really know the day it happened but somewhere the thrills of those years faded and a change came around that made me a man. Now I live in the place that I heard about so many years ago, I have learned that the thrill has actually changed into joy. Here is what this has meant for me –

1. Embrace Real Love. The song is basically about the infatuation of youth between a boy and a girl. One part of maturity is when we abandon infatuation and begin to look for something more. We move from the thrill of the moment into the joy of a lifetime. One of the greatest parts of growing older is that I give up looking for someone else to offer me some new sort of thrill. Now I enjoy the love of my wife who has stood by my side through some really tough times. I thank God for a great mother, siblings, and wonderful children who love me. The momentary euphoria of those teenage encounters has been replaced by the deep satisfaction of real love.

2. Use Your Gifts for Others. During those early years, for me at least, life was all about pleasing myself. Each day was a search for something that would make me feel good. As an adult, I have discovered that I feel the greatest joy when I serve others. The media had taught me the awesome power of climbing a mountain and standing alone with God. Real life has taught me that those feelings are nothing compared to looking in the eyes of a child when you give them their first gift. The thrill of self-gratification is nothing compared to self-sacrifice.

3. Find Satisfaction in Your Soul. Those exciting moments of youth often carry with them guilt and shame. The longer you live, the more the snowball of our mistakes grows into an avalanche. Slowly you become bitter and angry, or you slip into that place where our senses are dulled, and we feel nothing. I believe faith offers a better solution. Allow the work of Jesus to penetrate our hearts, and we can experience forgiveness. There is a solid reason that the older people get, the more they find comfort in faith. I am no longer restless about the mistakes of my life, rather I am filled with peace because of forgiveness.

I know it is hard to explain to a young person what John Cougar Mellencamp was singing about in Jack and Diane. Getting older seems like a scary and boring prospect. The reality for me is that my life is far better now than during those teenage years. I am thankful to God for the direction my life has gone since I live past the thrill of those days. My life is full of love, joy, and peace. I hope yours is too.

On Saturday night, my second son’s basketball team lost in district play and their season came to an end. Somewhere in the third quarter when I realized we were not going to win without a miracle, I took out a sheet of paper, and I wrote down a few thoughts about my son and his senior year of basketball.

I share these with you for two reasons. First, I want everyone to know how proud I am of my son. He is a great athlete and a great young man. Second, I want people to know you can still be good at sports without compromising anything. Now, I am not saying my son is perfect, far from it, but he is a great kid who represents our family and his faith well.

1. Good Sportsmanship – I am proud to say that over the years he has never received a single technical foul or even a flagrant foul. He had pushed the limits on this a couple of times when he was getting hit, and no calls were made by the refs, but he never crossed that line. He has not thrown any temper tantrums on the sidelines and got into any heated conflicts with teammates. He has proven to me that you can be intense at sports without being a jerk.

2. Not Selfish – One thing I have seen this year is that my son would pass to anyone. He was often reminded to “know who you are passing to” but that did not stop him from passing. If someone was open, he threw the ball to them no matter what. Even in the final two minutes of his last game, he shared the ball with a couple other seniors in hopes that they would score. You do not have to be selfish to be a great ball player.

3. A Friend to All – Even though we have only been in Adrian for a little less than three years my son made some great friends. Over the last few months, my wife and I have enjoyed having a group of 3-5 boys over to our house before a game. In fact, over the last month, we just came to plan on having a meal for them before they left. My son has some great friends on the team.
On top of that, my wife and I have collected pictures and stories of my son talking to the other team’s players. Quite often during the game, especially free throws, he would stop and talk to the boys on the other team. Several of them he has then followed on Instagram and Snapchat and went on to become friends. Being competitive does not mean you have to hate other people, they are all just high school boys trying to have fun.

4. Brotherly Love – It is always a great joy to have my boys on the same team. Last year my two oldest played together. This year my middle two played together. My wife and I both cherish those moments when they give each other high-fives and celebrate together. My boys are not only teammates, but they are also friends.

5. Christian Faith – I know my son is not perfect as a player or as a person and I do not want to elevate him as a perfect model of faith. I do want people to know that since he started playing basketball in the 3rd or 4th grade, he has missed only one Sunday because of basketball. One time we let him travel to a tourney in Alaska over a weekend. Otherwise, he has never played on a travel team or spent weekends on the road to get better. Nope, faith and Church are a priority in our family, and I want parents to know that you can be good at a sport without compromising your values.

I will be honest it was hard to watch his walk off the court on Saturday night. I hugged him, and I didn’t want to let him go. Later that night as I lied in bed I was reminded that one of the biggest goals of sports is to prepare kids for real life. I know without a doubt that as my son goes off to college this fall, he will make me proud. He already has.

Here is a simple thought for today. May God bless you all.

Go out and slay your dragon:-)

Here are the best things I read this week. Enjoy.

How The Church Today Is Getting Discipleship Wrong

How Not to Help a Sufferer

What Will Your Children Remember About You?

Confessions of a Church Shopper – All good stuff, but Church people might want to take note of #3 on her list.

30 Things I’ve Learned in 18 Years of Parenting Boys – Written from a mother’s perspective. Still some really good stuff for everyone.

It is time to get honest. I am not proud of these, but I need to tell someone.

-When I learned to ride a bike, every time I fell I would get up and kick the bike as if my failure was its fault.
-I skipped 32 days of high school for no real reason other than to have fun. No one noticed I was gone.
-I hold a pillow when I sleep.
-I occasionally cheated in Bible college.
-I eat my food so that my last bite is the best. That means I eat my pizza and pie backward.
-I have left a store because I saw someone I didn’t care for and didn’t want to talk.
-I have no plans to use Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat. Facebook already drives me crazy.
-I have purposely parked too close. Just to annoy people.
-I don’t understand Jazz music.
-Sometimes I take naps in my office because I stay up too late.
-My dad used to say when we were in a large crowd, “If a bomb went off in here, it would sure kill a lot of people.” I still find that one of the funniest things he said.
-I remember almost everything that has happened to me, some with vivid detail. It is both a blessing and a curse.
-I am forcing myself to quit yelling at referees at basketball games.
-Asking people for anything personally I find almost impossible to do, even if I need the help.
-I listen to music in my headphone way too loud. Now I am getting deaf.
-Twice in my life I seriously considered suicide, now I thank God for getting me through those dark times.
-I am paralyzed by the fear of something bad happening to my children.
-I have nothing saved for retirement.
-Sometimes I have to fake caring about people. Is that wrong?
-I hold my tongue all the time, I have so much I really want to say, but I know it will hurt people.
-I daydream about what it would be like to live my life over knowing what I know now.
-I still struggle with that same old sin.
-I frequently make up percentages on the spot. Well, I do 78% of the time.
-When I see 11:11 on the clock I always say, “You only see that two or three times a day.”
-I love to buy books but rarely take the time to read them anymore.
-I despise soccer, cats, dogs and bananas equally.
-I have embarrassed myself more times than I can count. And no, I won’t tell you the stories.
-I don’t understand why Jesus chose Judas, but I also don’t understand why he loves me.
-It wasn’t until I was in my 40’s that I learned to embrace my uniqueness … I mean weirdness.

I believe all of us have a closet full of junk. Your parents do. Your pastor does. Everyone you know has a long list of secrets.

You are normal. Confess it to God. Maybe have a laugh … or a cry. Throw yourself on grace. Move on. Today is a new day. Thank God!

My hands have three noticeable scars. Each one is the result of the misuse of a knife. Each one has taught me something. Each one has shaped the way I handle a knife currently.

Scars shape us. I know of people who have large scars from surgery and those who have injuries from accidents. They are physical reminders of pain and hurt along with the joy of being alive.

What is true physically is also true emotionally and spiritually. Those deep hurts we have felt in our souls are also part of what God uses to shape us if we allow him.

These are some of the biggest incidents that God has used to shape me.

1. Loss of Loved Ones
I have lost two people in my life whom I loved deeply. Along with those losses have come a number of other friends who have passed. Each time I have lost someone it has changed the way I treat the rest of the people in my life. It has made me more loving and sympathetic. Loss has a way of making us either bitter or better.

2. Self-inflicted wounds
I will not list all the sins I have committed that have shaped me. Let’s just say I have done some incredibly sinful and stupid things in my life. Each time it has left a deep scar on my soul. These experiences drive me to grace. I have become more dependent on the grace of God and more grace filled in my handling of other people. Sin can either dull our senses or wake us up to God.

3. Lies of leaders
Unfortunately, I have experienced the pain of watching leaders, mentors, and teachers fall. The same sin that caught me at times has also caught them. It is hard to watch someone you deeply care about make enormous mistakes. Sadly, it happens on a regular basis. These situations can remind us of the vulnerability of us all and the need for a close walk with God.

4. Friendly fire
Many well-intentioned Christians have said some very hurtful things. When this happens, it feels like a bullet rips away a little piece of your soul. Occasionally people have given up on their faith because of the careless words of others. Incidents like these can push us to become more forgiving people. They force our hand at either anger or grace.

5. The presence of nothing
Numerous times I have been hurt because the people I know did nothing. They didn’t come to speak with me when I was hurting. They didn’t say anything negative in my situation, but they didn’t help either. They watched me drowned from the side of the pool and just walked away. Some of my greatest pains have come from the absence of love and concern. These hurts are the type that reminds me to always show my compassion. They teach me to speak words of truth and love wherever God places me. They teach me not to turn a blind eye to those who are hurting because it will just cause more pain.

My soul is scared. Some deep emotional cuts will never completely disappear. I hate that they happened, but God in his mercy has used those situations to teach me and mold me into a more Christlike person.

Our scars shape our lives. The pain of scars can make us better people or bitter, angry people. How have your hurts changed your life? How will your injuries shape you?