My wife and I watched the movie on Amazon Prime entitled “A Million Miles Away.” If you have not seen it, it is the story of Jose Hernandez, who was born in Mexico as the child of a migrant worker. He dreamed of being an astronaut and eventually went on to fly in the space shuttle.

Within the story is an interaction between Jose and his team leader, Kalpana Chawla (herself a minority astronaut). He struggles to keep up with the rest of the team, and she informs Jose that he has everything he needs to succeed.

“Tenacity is a superpower…” she tells him.

Grit, determination, persistence, and never giving up are keys to a successful life. That is true in our jobs, families, hobbies, and even our faith. Tenacity is a superpower, and it is one that all of us can obtain.

The hymn “Victory in Jesus” is an account of substitutionary atonement.

It details how Jesus came, sought us, and bought us with his redeeming blood. The lyrics tell of his work on the cross, God’s love for us, and the victory secured through Jesus’ death. 

The song is an old favorite of mine, but recently, as we sang it together as a Church in worship, a line from the second verse jumped out at me. It says, “And then I cried, ‘Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit.’ And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.”

I had never noticed the word “somehow.” Despite this being a song that is strong in the theology of the atonement we receive through faith in Jesus, there is still this mystery. The words declare Jesus’ mighty work is our salvation, but still, I am not a hundred percent sure how it all works. 

Many spiritual giants with an enormous theology have attempted to explain the work of Jesus, and it all makes sense. Still, it is rooted in the love of God and a grace that I cannot wholly explain. 

Faith is not having every answer; faith is trusting in Jesus and knowing that, somehow, all this works to pay my debt of sin. Faith is trusting despite having a “somehow” explanation. 

I usually walk at the local high school track in the wee hours between 3-5 am. I have done this for about four years and have only had a couple of issues the whole time. 

This year has been different. At least two families of skunks have taken residence near the track. One group is almost entirely white. They are easy to spot when I see them walking on the black lanes, even in the dark. The other family is almost completely black with a small white stripe. They are practically impossible to see in the dark.

They come to the track for two reasons. One, there is frequently food all over the ground. The other day, the trash can had blown over, and I could see and hear one of them munching on chips. Two, this has been an incredibly dry year, and they turn on the sprinklers there to keep the football field green and plush. Thus, it has become a one-stop paradise this year for animals. I have seen raccoons, rabbits, armadillos, and these skunks. 

One Sunday morning, I was walking on the track, and I saw one off to my left, and he was eating and minding his business. I passed by a few laps before it happened. On one trip around, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, and there, two lanes away from me, stood a skunk with his tail high and looking like he was ready to launch.

My immediate reaction was to take off running. To my surprise, the animal initially ran after me. Within a few yards, it quit, but I sprinted to my truck.

I did not stop and look at the animal in wonder of this fantastic creature. I did not think, “What should I do? What should I do?” I did not call a friend and ask for advice. I simply took off running. 

The plea of the Bible for believers is that when they encounter evil, they should flee.

Paul tells Timothy to “flee evil desires and pursue righteousness.” He tells him to take off sprinting when he sees that dirty old sin. Don’t stop, don’t ask someone what to do, and don’t overthink it. Just run away. Take off like a skunk is in pursuit. You will never regret that decision.

Last year, I sat in the tree stand waiting for a deer. I saw one that might be worth taking, but something happened when I pulled my gun up to look through the scope. Everything I saw was blurry. I switched eyes to see if it was the scope, and it was okay through my left eye.

Later tests would confirm that I am forming a cataract in my right lens. I have changed the prescription on my glasses for now, but I know surgery will be required in the future. Otherwise, I will lose all ability to see clearly through that eye over time.

In Church leadership circles, it is common to speak of the “vision for the Church.” This is a picture of the future that one group of believers might have for their people. A Church in the inner city might have a vision to help the homeless in their neighborhood. A Church in the suburb might have a vision to start a Christian school or homeschooling coop program. Another might have dreams for youth, another for college students, and still another for senior adults. 

Vision is the word used to describe the direction a Church feels being led by God as it ministers to its community.

Many Churches have the problem of blurred vision. They have no idea what they are doing and where God is leading them. Four years ago, our Church leadership spent a year looking through the Bible and praying about our vision. We framed a five-year plan with the simple goal of “Making more and better disciples.” Since that vision was laid out, the leadership and I have focused our efforts on that one goal.

Before the Church can move forward confidently, we must be clear on our aim. 

This has improved with new technology, but the quality level goes down when you make a copy of a copy. With every copy of a copy, of a copy, the quality diminishes a little more with each reproduction. You should copy only from an original printout to ensure the highest resolution. 

I think this is true for disciples, too. Jesus could say, follow me or imitate me. The Apostle Paul could say imitate me as I imitate Jesus. But that does not mean that you or I should have people imitate us, too. 

To be the best version of a Christ follower, you should try to imitate Jesus or Paul, not anyone else. I know I am not a person whose life you should copy. I have so many flaws and failures. Every Christian I know is the same way, and I know some great people of faith. 

We must be careful about what we copy from others. A flaw in someone you admire can become a significant issue for you and will definitely be one for someone who tries to imitate you.

I am glad you have someone discipling you, but always compare their life to Jesus. Just because a friend thinks they are spiritually mature does not mean they are living like Jesus in every way.  

A speaker at one of the conferences I attended this year made a statement that resonated with my soul. He stated, “Most pastors are poor disciple makers because no one discipled them.” I struggle to make fully devoted followers of Jesus because I, along with many other preachers, had no one take me under their wing and mentor me.

Then why do I feel like I am a spiritually mature person? How did I get here?

First of all, five years of Bible college helped. But there was still something lacking in my training. No one became the Yoda to my Luke Skywalker. I gained knowledge and tools, but learning how to implement them was neglected.

Again, I ask, how did I grow as a believer? My growth was self-directed. 

While I firmly believe this is not the best way to become spiritually mature, I do think it is possible to grow without someone coming up and choosing to teach you as a disciple.

Here are five ways to accomplish self-directed discipleship:

1. Read the Bible. Read it over and over and over and over. Accept nothing less.

2. Read books, articles, magazines, blogs, pamphlets, and anything else you can get your hands on about faith. 

3. Listen and watch every video you can from reliable teachers. I used audio cassettes, but now I have podcasts, sermons online, and YouTube. I go to conferences regularly to help feed my soul, too.

4. Meet with any person who will talk to you. I have never had anyone say, “I want to come tell you about faith and the Bible,” but I have contacted dozens of people through the years and asked if I could come and question them on faith and the Bible. A few people have told me no, but most are flattered, and I buy them lunch in exchange.

5. Connect tightly to a Community of Faith. I have learned so much from listening to older believers in the Church tell their stories. The sacrifice and commitment of the people in the local Church have inspired me. God has often surprised me by sending someone into my life with the message I needed at the right time. Some very uneducated people sure know a lot about faith.

Over the years, I have grown to be a spiritually mature person without any formal help. I do not think it is the easiest way, but I know anyone who comes to Church can do it; my experience confirms it. 

What are the five things you are thankful for each day?

What five individuals are you praying that God would nudge their hearts open so they might come to Church or hear the Gospel?

What three things are you praying for your spouse this week?

Who are the two people pouring their life into you and discipling you? (Only one can be online or in books.)

What three people are you going to disciple in the coming year?

If I am brutally honest, I do not care about your favorite color, food, or sports team. A list of your favorite books or movies is interesting but empty. Try keeping lists of eternal significance and see how that changes your perspective.

(Originally posted on October 29, 2019)

Every year, I brace myself for another “Pastor Appreciation Month.” This is not the grip of anticipation and thoughts of “what will someone give me.” My feelings are more along the lines of I hope no one listens to Christian radio and hears about this nonsense.

Apparently, someone in a big company who preys on Christians decided to set aside October, a whole month, as Pastor Appreciation Month. I assume this idea was meant to drum up business in an otherwise “unspiritual” fall. Easter consumes the spring, and then there are graduations, Mother’s and Father’s Day, and the patriotic appeal of July. Thanksgiving is a good month, and Christmas sales are through the roof, but we have nothing to make money in October. Someone said, “I know, let’s focus on Pastors and guilt congregations into gift-giving.” I pray their motives were pure and they truly wanted to honor pastors, but I highly doubt it.

Anyway, this month is promoted in Christian bookstores (aka trinket shops) and on Christian radio as a time to honor pastors. In case you do not know or cannot hear my tone, I hate it.

1. It is unbiblical and feeds some pastor’s egos. Jesus in Matthew 23:1-12 chastises the religious leaders of this day because some of them were in it for the glory. They loved to have the best seats for events, enjoyed the perks of their position, and loved to be honored by others. Jesus offers an alternative view of humble service without recognition.

2. It hurts some pastors. This happens in one of two ways. First, some pastors do not get anything from their congregation and feel hurt that no one appreciates them. While that may be a problem in the pastor’s soul (#1), I understand the hurt. Imagine your spouse forgot an important holiday. Second, sometimes, it is just painful. Two instances of this have happened in my life. Once, a woman gave me a card with a financial gift in it, and she wrote about how I could use the money to buy some nicer clothes. The one time a Church tried to honor me, they gave me a gift that showed how little they knew me. It was wasted money on a gift that I did not want or need.

3. It divides the Church. This one is subtle. It demonstrates a line between the “staff” of a Church and the “laity.” The staff are godly people, and the volunteers are grunts. The Bible speaks of a priesthood of ALL believers. No one is greater than another.

4. It sends the wrong message. I believe this month sends the message to volunteers that their job is to make the pastor look and feel good. It forces a light onto Christian leaders and gives the impression that service to the Lord should be for recognition in this life. A volunteer can feel like less of a servant of God than a person in a paid position, or worse, they can become like #1 on my list.

That is enough for now. These are only a few of the reasons I have a great disdain for Pastor Appreciation Month. I am glad the month is almost over, and I can relax. I am so happy a few people like me, and I am honored by their kindness, but I serve so that God gets the glory. The Lord be praised for anything good that happens through me.

Most Churches only meet once a week for worship as a community. That means there are 52 possible times to attend over the average year. (Note – some years have 53 Sundays)

If you live in an area like mine, you might have fewer chances because of the weather. There is always the threat of tornadoes, flooding, ice, snow, or a power outage caused by one of the other issues. Every year I have been at my Church, we have closed at least one Sunday or two for the safety of our people, especially our older members. So that reduced our possibility to only 50 weeks a year.

Suppose you are the kind of person who misses once a month for holidays, family, or illness. Once a month is 12 total times for a year. That drops our number down to 38 times a year.

If you are like most American families, you will also have a list of other times you will need to miss Church for various reasons. Two weeks or more for vacation is a minimum. 2-4 weeks for holiday adventures like Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Then there is Christmas and Easter. There are also graduations, weddings, and family commitments. So add another 10 to the list of Sundays missed. Now we are down to 28. 

Most people I know will also miss another two weeks for work. There is training, deadlines, the coworker who quit, and that angry boss who demanded that you work. So, you’d better drop that number to 26.

When people tell me they are a “committed Church member,” they mean they attend about 50% of the time. Six months of the year, they will not be in worship to fellowship, serve, give, or connect in any way. 

To be clear, I am not being critical; I am just making sure you understand what I am working with each week. And why leading a Church community is incredibly difficult.

On the last Sunday in September, I was officially hired to be a preacher at a Church. I had preached several times over my first three years of college as a “supply preacher.” That means I preached one sermon on one Sunday and never came back. I suppose I had already preached at least 75 sermons when I was asked to go and speak at Urich, Missouri, at Christ’s Christian Church. I spoke for the first time on Labor Day weekend. The handful of people who attended that day liked the sermon enough to invite me back to preach the following Sunday. After three sermons, they held me after Church for a short meeting and asked me to return every weekend as their preaching pastor. I agreed, and that began my life as a preacher.

Since that first Church invited me to preach, I have been in six Churches in four states. I have preached 48 or more times every year except one when I was between ministries. I estimate that I have preached over 2,000 sermons and given countless Sunday school lessons, youth group lessons, and other public teachings.

By my calculations, 1565 Sundays have passed since I became a preacher. During that time, planes crashed, buildings fell, a new Church was started, four children were born and raised, I lost my dad, and my wife lost hers too. People have been born, married, and buried all under my watching eyes. There have been victories and defeats, good times and bad. We have traveled around the country and lived in Alaska. Personally, I have gained weight and lost it twice while losing my hair after it turned white.

Many events have occurred, and numerous changes have marked my journey, but God has remained faithful. I have always been able to come up with something to say. People have responded, sometimes quite surprisingly. I estimate I have been a part of around 400 baptisms. I don’t know how many others became members of a local Church and started serving, giving, and loving. I have no idea how many lives have been impacted positively. I know that God continues to use me for the Gospel’s sake in ways I never thought or imagined.

Every year about this time, I stop and thank God for allowing me to be a preaching minister. God is good, and my life has been blessed. I am incredibly thankful for every person who listens to me preach or teach, along with those who read my blog. Thanks for a lot of great experiences in the name of Jesus.