Recently I was reminded that the greatest revelation of our feelings is found in our smallest actions. This is a reality most of us need to get ingrained into our brains about love. I think most people recognize large acts of love. The sacrifice of money for a gift, the selfless giving of time and the big memory moment are the stuff that makes Hollywood movies. In the real world, I think that the small things people do are a greater proof of the way we feel.

1. Doing Little Things in Marriage
One way I frequently encourage couples is to pay attention to the details. I read a story once about a famous couple and the day they decided to end their marriage. They had a heated argument that started with the way she wanted her coffee. After more than 3 years of marriage, he did not know how she liked her coffee. She was heartbroken that he didn’t care enough about her little personal preferences. How great is that feeling when you go to the fridge and your spouse bought your favorite drink? How much do you feel when your spouse notices the little things that matter to you?

2. Doing Little Things in Parenting
All children want unconditional love. Many of us tell our children over and over that we love them. I think what really drives this home is when we notice the little things that are unique to them. A gift card to their favorite restaurant, a trip to their favorite store or a day doing what they enjoy are huge examples of our expressions of love. I have a list of the most memorable gifts I have ever received locked in my mind. On that list are all items unique to me, like an Earl Campbell jersey, a study Bible and a box full of items I needed for college.

3. Doing Little Things in All Relationships
All relationships need continual work, even those with are friends. I have a stamp in a frame that has almost no value. It was the last gift my best friend bought me before he died. He and I deer hunted together and we both needed to send in our applications (a requirement of the time). He went and bought himself a stamp and mailed his out and then gave me a stamp to make sure I mailed mine on time. I see that stamp as the clearest statement that he really cared for me. What would it do to your relationships if you did one small thing on a regular basis?

What would happen if you spent more time doing little things than waiting to do that one big thing? Why wait till a birthday or Christmas to have some dramatic display of affection? What would happen if we did one small thing for someone we care about every day? I guarantee you that your relationships will get stronger and more fulfilling just by doing those simple little things.

Professional football player Colin Kaepernick is making headlines for setting down during the national anthem. My understanding is that he is doing it as a sign of protest against “black oppression.” I do not know all the details about his protest but it seems to be primarily directed at the police and their brutality toward people of African-American descent.

While he is making this stand against oppression, or taking his seat as the case may be, my Facebook feed has been full of posts to refute Mr. Kaepernick’s claims. These post have come in three basic forms. First are those that directly attack him and his claim. As a pro football player he is making 14 million dollars this year. He lives in a mansion and has more money than my entire town combined. Second, the attacks are focused on facts. In this country you are more likely to get shot by the police if you are white than black. One makes headlines and the other does not, or so his opposition claims. Finally, the last line of argument against his stance are videos and stories of police officers who have helped their community rather than oppress them. There is a video of police officers helping elderly black people in simple and profound ways. This last one is what catches my attention.

The main problem I see is that when we view a group of people our opinions are usually based on a few individuals, not actually an entire group. You see there is really no such thing as the police force as a group. Yes, there are police men and women who serve daily, but those individuals do not go hom eat night and all talk to each other. Most of them have no contact outside of work. The group is really just a bunch of individuals whose only connection is in their occupation and job title. Yet, we view the group as a whole. The interesting result is that we chose to view a group of people based on the actions of a few individuals. A person must decide if they will focus on the good stories or the bad ones.

Here is why I write all of this: The same reality exists in the Church. There is no such thing as Christians. There are individuals who follow Jesus and we have that connection, but we rarely function as a group outside of worship. The hard part is that when people think of Christians they can choose to focus on the good stories or the bad ones when drawing their conclusions. The interesting result is that people draw their conclusions about all of us based on the actions of a few individuals. The end result is convicting – each one of us becomes a representative of the whole group.

This week I wonder, “How will my actions shape people’s view of Christians?” Maybe the question is even broader, “How will your actions shape the views of people regarding Christians?”

I do not know how Mr. Kaepernick arrived at his views. I really have little control over his views beyond my own actions with people of his same racial heritage. I also do not know how people come to form their view of Christians. The only control I have in those matters is how I treat people in the name of Jesus. May each one of us act like Christ, for the good of all of us.

There are numerous things going on around ACC. Here are a few things you should know about:

1.We have officially hired Jaime Isaac as our Children’s Minister. She has a husband, Rory, and two children named Ryker, who is five and in kindergarten, and Clara who is around 18 months old. They are working on housing and then are making the move to Adrian. Please be in prayer for their transition in every way. We hope and pray they are able to join us by the first of October.

2. Last Sunday I spoke on giving and I was hoping to announce this piece of information then, but it was not ready yet. Within the next week, the Church will be able to take donations by credit card. We are adding this feature to our website as one possible way to give. We have also purchased and iPad Mini that will be hanging in the lobby as a new “giving station.” While we know this is not for everyone, we do know it will benefit many people in their act of giving.

3. I have two Sundays to go in my series of sermons entitled “Sunday Worship.” This Sunday I am talking about “Communion.” I am preaching from the book of 1 Corinthians and we will end the sermon by taking communion together.

4. Next Sunday I am speaking on Baptism. First, if you are interested in baptism then this is a great opportunity to do it. You can speak with me soon or just respond after the sermon that day. We have robes and towels on hand, but feel free to bring a bathing suit and your own towel. Whatever makes you feel comfortable to make this step of faith. Second, we are putting together a slideshow of some of the baptisms at ACC. If you have a video of one or a picture or two, please email those to me at adrianchurchoffice@gmail.com

5. Once I am done with this sermon series I am excited to announce our big fall series. Starting on September 18 my sermon topic will be “Band of Brothers.” I will be talking about relationships for all people, but primarily from a male perspective. I have always been fascinated by the bond that is created between people who have served in the military together. What if we could have those types of relationships in our everyday lives? I am excited about this series and I hope you will invite a few friends at the end of September to join us. (See below for more info)

Finally, I am so encouraged that our leadership continues to make improvements around the Church. We have upgraded my office, are working on some new technology along with the spiritual growth we hope a new staff member will bring. I believe these changes will help us to reach more people for Jesus this fall and winter and far into the future.

Lord’s blessing and thanks to all who are a part of Adrian Christian Church. It is a privilege to serve with you.

September 18 – “Brothers in Arms”
September 25 – “Cover Me”
October 2 – “Purple Heart People”
October 9 – “Friendly Fire”
October 16 – “Not Forgotten”

Today is September 1st. Eight months of the year 2016 are gone. We only have four months to go. So how is it going? Did you accomplish all your goals yet? Have you accomplished any of your goals yet? Have you even started anything?

All of us know that it is so easy for time to get away from us. “I will do it tomorrow” turns into “I will do it next week” turns into “I will do it next month” and that turns into “I will do it next year.”

Here is today’s dose of reality: This year is not over yet. What one or two things could you still accomplish this year? Don’t allow yourself to coast into Christmas.

I sometimes think that the last three months of the year are the best for Christians. We have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to use as opportunities to become more loving, more generous, to do more service and as an opportunity to share the love and message of Jesus. The problem is that if you don’t start making plans now, the rest of the year will slip by just like the last 8 months.

I pray that I and a few of you will use this fall and winter to grow in our faith. September first is as good of a time to get started as January first.

I hear it all the time. Someone is being described to me and they will be labeled as a “good Christian.” It sounds something like this: “You should meet him, he is a good Christian guy,” “She will handle your business well, she is a good Christian woman,” or “That teenager is such a good Christian.”

Every time I hear that description I wonder what people mean by it. How do you define a good Christian?

Is it someone who believes in Jesus?
Is it someone who goes to Church?
Is it someone who serves others in some way?
Is it someone who is truly generous?
Is it someone who is generally nice?

I am not really sure what people mean when they say it.

I think the answer lies in a contrasting lifestyle. Can someone be a lousy Christian? Well … yes, yes they can.

1. Some people who call themselves Christians are counterfeits. There are people who will claim to be Christians who really have no relationships with God. They simply use the name for some type of benefit. For example, this time of year numerous politicians will find religion. They know to get a certain vote they need the proper credentials, even if they are fake.

2. Some people are Christians in name only. There are people who come to Church and might say they believe in Jesus, but you would never see them live it out. They know the right words and the right phrases but have no action to match their words.

3. Some people who call themselves Christians lack transformation. There are people who go to Church and do a few religious activities, but there is something wrong. They never seem to change in any way. They are in the right places but have no real evidence of the effects of being in that place. Even though they attend religious events nothing has changed in their lives.

I think people who are labeled as “good Christians” are people of active faith. They are people who answer my initial question positively. You see their faith in their activities and their words. You see their faith in their name and in their character.

The hard part is that being a good Christian is that it is not a label I can put on myself. I tend to judge myself by my intentions and others by their actions. So in my eyes, of course, I am a good Christian. But the biggest question is not how I see myself, but how other people see me. So that begs the question, “Are you a good Christian?”

Inside my head, there are two opposing thoughts that continue to polarize my life.

On one side I think I am so smart. On the other side, I am so stupid
On one side I think I am so strong. On the other side, I am so weak.
On one side I think I am deeply spiritual. On the other side, I am completely sinful.
On one side I think I am a masterpiece. On the other side, I am a wretch.
On one side I think I am clear thinking. On the other side, I am a mess.
On one side I think I am nearly perfect. On the other side, I am far from perfect.
On one side I think I am totally awesome. On the other side, I am a total failure.

If you were to take all of the stories of my life you would find there is ample evidence for either side of the equation. Believe me, I have spent many nights replaying both sides in my head.

One of the great struggles in life is to find the proper middle ground for thinking about myself.

In Jesus, the Bible proclaims that we are sinners but it also tells us that we are saints. We are both a wretch and a masterpiece at the same time. As believers, we have to live with this tension. We ought not to think too highly of ourselves but we must not think too lowly either. The tendency of most people I know is that they only see one side of the story. We bounce between over inflated egos and depression.

The bad news is that you are not as good as you think you are. The good news is that you are not as bad as you think you are. The best news is that you are everything you think you are in Jesus.

You are a foolish person who is wise in Christ.
You are a weak person who is strong in the Lord.
You are a sinner who can connect to God in Jesus.
You are a wretch who Jesus made into a masterpiece.
You are a mess who found the truth in Jesus.
You are imperfect and were made perfect in Jesus.
You have failed but God has forgiven you in Jesus.

Be clear about who you are and who you are not. Wrong beliefs about yourself will lead you down a dark path in life. Jesus helps us think clearly and brings the light of life.

Yesterday I spoke about the reasons we take up an offering on Sunday morning. I am not going to repeat the whole sermon on here, you can listen to it on the church website (adriancc.org). I did, however, want to give the final part of my sermon. I think it can be helpful to anyone considering giving.

The passage for the day was 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. [2] On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

From this verse I gave a simple plan for giving:

1. Give Regularly – “On the first day of every week”

Have a regular time to evaluate all of your finances. Make sure you include giving in your plan.

2. Give Personally – “Each one of you”

Giving is for every individual.

3. Give Systematically – “Set aside a sum of money”

Include giving in your budget. It is one thing to say you need to give $40 and another thing to write out a check long before you arrive at Church. You should have a plan for giving that includes, when, how much and how.

4. Give Proportionately – “in keeping with his income”

In the Old Testament, the standard was a tithe or one-tenth. We are not under the law, but it does give us a general idea about how much we should give. My encouragement is to simply “grow one.” Give a dollar more. Give 1% more. Stretch yourself and see how generous you can be.

Talking about giving is an ugly subject. I worry about how non-Christians heard my sermon on the topic. The hard truth is that believers do need to be confronted with this topic in order to become complete followers of Jesus. I hope this helps you on that journey.

Here is a video for Friday. Just because I want to show it. No other reason.

Enjoy

I have two different files in Evernote that I use daily. One file contains blogs that I have started and put together several lines. Some of these fragments are almost complete and others have a long way to go. The other file is just an idea file. It contains a phrase or a one line idea for a blog post.

I just counted up both files and I have 138 ideas for blog posts.

Why do I tell you this? Simply to underline the fact that there is a lot to learn in the Christian life. Almost every day I see something, read something or watch something that gives me a small lesson worth remembering. I have a lot to teach, but I also have a lot to learn.

Some days I get discouraged and think I am not learning fast enough. I wish I knew more. I wish I was a better Christian. I wish my life was a perfect example of what it means to be a believer.

Then I remind myself that I am growing. My growth is coming at my own pace. If I can learn one thing new each day, then I am a success. If each week I can do one new thing for the Lord, then I am growing in my faith.

I continually need to remember that I am living one day at a time and learning one lesson at a time. Even small growth is still growth.

I often wonder what happened to the teens I attended youth group with as a young adult. We had a group of about 30 teens who gathered every Sunday night to play, connect and learn. I have no idea if they continued in the Church and in their faith. I do know that statistically speaking most of them are no longer involved in any Church even though they might still claim to be believers. Time is not kind to people of faith. Quite often people will quit on their journey with God long before they reach their destination. Some people get hurt, others lose interest and still, others fail and just quit trying.

I am unique. I have stayed their course with my faith. It has been 36 years since I proclaimed Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized. My faith has changed through the years but I am still trusting God’s grace daily and actively involved in Church. Lately, I have been kicking around the question, “Why do I still believe when many others have given up?”

1. My decision to follow Jesus was purely my decision
I did not feel any manipulation from my parents, my youth leader or my Church. In fact, I think I surprised people the day I walked forward to accept Jesus. Many people come to faith at a week of camp or CIY where there is a lot of emotion in the moment. Some people come to faith to make their parents happy. I really didn’t feel that pressure. I made my decision based on what I understood and as a result, I feel a personal obligation to God.

2. My faith is built solely on Jesus.
My dad explained the gospel to my brother while we rode around in his truck. I overheard everything and it made sense to me. My preacher offered an invitation to accept Jesus and be baptized and I went forward. I trusted Jesus as my Savior. I did not get scared at some “Thief in the Night” or “Heaven’s gate and Hell’s flame” production. I clearly understood the gospel message and built a life of faith on a strong foundation.

3. I have sought answers for my questions.
Through the years I have had numerous questions about my faith. I struggled through the death of my best friend. I was tossed around in seas of doubt. I have nearly drowned in guilt and shame. Each time I encountered a new struggle I went back to the Bible. I prayed and read God’s word. I read books and articles to help me understand. I talked to people who lived through a similar crisis of faith. Each time I came out of the mire of doubt a little stronger than before.

4. I wanted to help instead of fleeing
The Church can be incredibly ugly. I was there in the Church lobby when my dad was verbally assaulted by a lady about his work as an elder. I have heard the horror stories of my dad as a young man. I decided I wanted to make a difference in the Church and not run away. As an adult, I have realized most of my childish fears. People were mean, ugly and nasty to me. With each encounter, I asked God to teach me and help me make changes that would make the Church better. Honestly, wherever two or more are gathered to do anything, there will be issues. The Church is no different, unfortunately. You can either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.

5. I still need grace
No matter how hard I try to achieve it – I am still not perfect. I still make mistakes. I still struggle with temptation and sin. I still struggle with guilt and shame. I still need the forgiveness that I find in Jesus Christ. I still need the grace to let go of my yesterdays and embrace today. I still need the hope of heaven. I still need Jesus.

I have always said that if I find anything better than Jesus and I come to the point of believing it, then I will leave my faith in him. To this point, I have found nothing that can compare with my faith in Jesus. In fact, I find most people desperately need what he offers. Even when I could have walked away from faith and no one would have blamed me, I didn’t. To whom shall I go? Only Jesus has the words of life.