The words came on the screen as the movie ended, “And they lived happily ever after.”

Do you believe that?

Do you believe that two people living in a relationship experience happiness every day after the events that brought them together?

I highly doubt it.

No relationship, marriage, friendship, or business partnership has experienced “happily ever after.” When two people are together, there will be conflict, frustration, and often anger. The challenge for a follower of Jesus is not to run away but to stay and engage one another with kindness, compassion, grace, and forgiveness.

I don’t think people live happily ever after. But I do believe people can be “happy after everything” if they are willing to work through their issues.    

There are two types of freedom.

“Freedom From.”  This is the concept of being set free from something that was holding you back. My favorite preacher called it quiet freedom. The chains are taken off, and you walk away free from your past.

“Freedom For.” This is the idea that we can do whatever we desire. There are no restraints to keep us from specific behaviors. This is a loud freedom that comes down the street with a marking band in a parade.

Scripture says that the work of Jesus gives us both of these. We have freedom from our sins. The old has gone; the new has come. We also have the freedom for us to approach the throne of grace with confidence and receive help in our time of need. We have the freedom to worship God without fear and in the confidence of his mercy.

I am happy to live in a country where we celebrate freedom. I will celebrate today. But I am even happier to live on this side of Jesus’ work, where I can experience freedom for my soul because of his death, burial, and resurrection.

What’s it like to be involved in ministry?

It doesn’t matter whether you are a full-time paid employee of a religious organization or volunteer at one. The work you do is still done for God. He is in charge, and we are his servants.

What is that like? It is like having a boss who always has your back.

Recently, the Sunday morning program was filled with issues. People did not speak up, mics did not work, the video didn’t have sound, and a baby was coughing. It was not my idea of a perfect morning in worship. Yet, someone responded to the gospel message, and people expressed their appreciation for the sermon.

Everything was not perfect, but God took our efforts and brought about a fantastic result.

One of the most significant benefits of serving the Lord is that he takes our flawed gifts and uses them for his glory. In fact, he prefers it. That way, we are continually reminded that it is about him and not us.

The Church community must be a place that values questions. People need to be able to ask those things that hinder their faith and growth. The hard questions should not be avoided but engaged. Skepticism and doubts are welcome. No one has everything figured out, and we are all learning together.

However, we also need to be clear that biblical answers are highly valued. It is not enough to ask questions; we need to find the answer. Once the answer is known and secured, we change our lives to align with the truth we have discovered. While no one person has it all figured out, the group has someone who has reached the proper biblical understanding, and we need to accept their response.

Asking questions can be a great way to learn, but it can also be a way to avoid certain truths we find uncomfortable. Having an open mind to explore the unknown is an asset. Having a closed heart to accept the answers you find is a detriment.

Why you ask something is as important as what you ask.

Um, yeah, I was like there with my, I don’t know, like a friend. The guy, I can’t remember his name, but he was some famous preacher or something, and he told this story from the life of Jesus or whatever. Then he called this kid or whatever on stage, and he had him and like had him put his um hands out to the sides and everything. And this dude could not hold them up for more than a second or two, and I thought I was going to literally die laughing, like you know what I mean. Um, then, like, suddenly he told us about Jesus on the cross and whatever, and like I was moved from laughing to like literally crying, you know what I mean?

How you tell a story can be as important as what you say.

Part of her job was to show up early and pick up trash. And she was exemplary.

Part of the requirement to be in this group was to arrive early and pick up trash. He desperately wanted to be involved, so he was there every morning with his gloves and bag ready to do the work.

The real test of character is when she changes jobs. Will she still show up early and help, or was it only part of her job? Will he still show up when he is no longer a part of the group, and it is no longer required of him?

People who follow Jesus are willing to show up even when it is not their job. They help out even when it is not required of them. They volunteer because they know that Jesus came to serve and not to be served.

The Church may have some paid staff and required positions, but the kingdom is built by volunteers who often go unnoticed and unrecognized.

Many thanks to everyone who serves selflessly in the Church every week – God knows who you are.

It is fun to dream for the future. It is exciting to spend an afternoon imagining where your life will go and the experiences you will enjoy.

One part of following God is that life is a grand adventure.

Abraham was happy, settled near his family, and content living out his days with his wife. Then God told him to pack up and move to an unknown place. God would give him a family, and the end of his story would be a testimony of faith to future generations.

David was a shepherd boy. I am sure he dreamed of a farm life. He had plans of flocks and herds with a wife and his 2.3 kids. Yet, God called him from the pasture to the throne room. His life was a story about a man after God’s heart.

Saul was established as a religious leader and was zealous for the God of the Hebrew scriptures. One day, while traveling for work, the skies break open, and suddenly, he was a missionary for Jesus. His story ends with him writing much of the New Testament and dying as a martyr of the Christian faith.

As long as you have breath in your lungs, God has a plan for you. That plan may push you to do things and go places you have never dreamed of.

Part of following God is knowing that your road will twist and turn in unexpected ways. You will encounter detours, backroads, and slow traffic.

People often ask me about my plans, and I timidly tell them what I am currently thinking. In reality, I have no idea what God has in store for me, and I am just following where he leads me.

Faith is never a set path; it is a journey of the unexpected. Anything less, and you are probably following your dreams instead of God’s will.

I often pray that people will not remember me based on one bad day.

There was that time I had not slept well in three nights, and I was extra irritable. I snapped at my wife, was short with my staff, and was downright mean to the waiter. Then, there was that day when nothing seemed to go right. The mail contained a large bill I thought was paid, the battery on the van was dead due to my own failure, and the Wi-Fi was down at work. This all resulted in my being filled with rage during every interaction.

Over the years, there have been countless days when I was not the person Jesus would want me to be. I can give you excuses, but ultimately, I let my anger win and failed to be a positive example to others in Jesus’ name.

I hope and pray people forget those days. I want them to forgive me. I do not want my identity to be defined by one or a few bad days. 

While I hope that others will not judge me that way, my more significant prayer is that I do not form my opinion of others based on their one bad day. The forgiveness I desire must also be extended to others.  

No one should have their life categorized by one lousy interaction. No one.  

I keep journals, Evernote files, and Word Documents filled with lists of ideas. Blog ideas, sermon series concepts, Church projects, and future dreams are all recorded in their proper location for regular reviewing. 

Some of these items have been on my mind for years. Yet, for a variety of reasons, the timing is not right at the moment. About every month, I read through them, pray over them, and search my soul to see if I feel anything coming together. Occasionally, an idea from eight years ago will spark for numerous reasons, and I know it is time to see it come to fruition.

Not every thought is a great one for the current season. But it may be a great idea, and the timing is not correct. Many concepts need a long mental soak before they are ready.

One part of leadership is determining not just what happens but when. 

Saying that you believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior. You have found his words to be true, his resurrection to be a fact, and he has changed your life. This is an excellent series of topics. People will listen and possibly nod their heads in agreement. But it is not engaging.

Saying that you once made a series of poor choices that led you down a destructive path. No one noticed, but you were dying a little each day. With each new conquest, you thought the pain in your soul would disappear, and it only intensified. Slowly, every day became a mental battle with self-worth and self-doubt. When you hit rock bottom, you discover the bottom could fall out, and the depth of your emotional emptiness could reach a new level. You moved back home hoping to find love and acceptance, but time had changed your most solid relationships.

It was in this freefall that Joe stepped into your life. He was a coworker whose life seemed to be so full of joy. He was always positive, even when you knew he was having a difficult day. He always took time to talk to you and appeared genuinely concerned. One day, Joe invited you to Church, and for some unknown reason, you found yourself saying yes. Sure, you regretted agreeing and thought about canceling, but you went anyway. The people were friendly, and all the horror stories you had heard about Church didn’t come true for you. The music was uplifting, and the sermon was not that boring. A few weeks later, you returned, and then you went again and again. After a few months of sporadic attendance, you decided to join a small group at Joe’s house. Everyone was kind, and you started thinking that Jesus might be okay. Over the next few months, your connections got stronger, and your convictions began to grow. Eventually, you stood up one Sunday, proclaimed your faith, and were baptized.

Since then, your life has been different. You are full of joy and have friends who want the best for you. You have attended classes to learn what and why you believe. Your life is steadily improving as you let go of the past and face each new day with faith.

That is more than a conversational topic. It is a story that people will listen to and then tell their friends.

Most people are not interested in your doctrinal thoughts about Jesus; they want to know how he has impacted your life. Learning to tell that story well is the key to engaging people with the gospel message.