I have been thinking about my children and all I want to teach them before they leave my house and head out into the adult world. I am unashamedly a Christian and a preacher and these lessons are through the lens of a father, christian and pastor. Maybe they will inspire or challenge you. Here is what I have so far.

– Your life is valuable because God created you and redeemed you, no matter what else happens.
– Think of the people around you.
– Always respond with kind words even when you want to scream.
– Your family is a group of people who love you.
– The Church is a mess, but most people are doing their best to learn and grow.
– The Packers are the closest thing to God’s team 🙂
– There are few truly evil people in the world, most just desperately want attention.
– Love your wife the best you can.
– Don’t attach your self-worth to what you own.
– Hurt people will hurt people.
– No one understands women, even women.
– You will fail, try to handle it with grace.
– Dad and Mom love you unconditionally.
– Following Jesus is hard.
– Be willing to laugh at yourself.
– Laugh often.
– Be Careful, I am always scared for your safety.
– Carry enough cash for emergencies.
– Serving others is better than self-indulgence in the long run.
– Be grateful for everything you have.
– Enjoy the people God puts into your life before they are gone.

I could probably come up with more, but this is what I am thinking about this morning. I desperately want to raise children who will love the Lord and love people. Everyday is a journey down that path and I pray we all end up in a good place together.

While on my break I got to do something I do not get to do very often, I was able to listen to a sermon while sitting out in a congregation. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to dozens of sermons each year. I usually hear those sermons as a podcast while driving down the road or just out walking. I chose to listen and I get to chose the time and place and in some ways the topic. If I do not like a podcast I just go to the next one. Sitting in a Church congregation and listening is very different. I don’t really choose anything about what is going to happen, except how I handle it. Here are my suggestions to make the most of your time listening to a sermon each week.

1. Pray Before You Go – I always ask God to speak to me through the sermon I am going to hear. It may be the whole sermon, through one point of the sermon, or possibly just one story or line. I want God to allow me to hear something that will cause me to grow as a follower of Jesus. This may be a 10 minute prayer before I leave the house or a 1 minute prayer during communion while my mind begins to focus on the upcoming sermon.

2. Listen Close – I have really never understood people who get up, go to Church and then talk or play on their phone during the sermon. Just stay home if you don’t care to hear anything being said. But if you do want to hear something then try and focus. I try to set up or lean in or anything I can do to hear what is being said.

3. Take Notes – One of the greatest ways that I listen is to take simple notes. By that I mean that I do not try to write everything I hear, but words, phrases and ideas that jump out at me. I try to see if I can follow the outline and the line of reasoning. Honestly, I usually throw the notes away after the sermon is over, but it does help me to focus and hear everything. This does mean that I need to grab my Bible, a notebook and a pen or two before I leave the house.

4. Think Action – I am constantly asking myself two major questions as I listen to a sermon. First, have I learned anything new or have I learned some truth in a new way. Secondly I ask if there is something I need to do again, or differently or in a new way with the information I have received. What actions do I need to add or remove from my life? It was once said that the Bible was not given to us to increase our knowledge but to change our lives. And to that end, I listen.

I am sure there are other things that some of you find helpful. I will be honest, I have sat through some boring sermons and some that were just the same information I had heard before. That is when I bow my head and say a simple prayer, “Lord let someone get something out of what is being said, even if it is just the preacher.” I really believe that no sermon is ever wasted. God will use His word being taught in someone’s life. I praise him for that as a man who listens to sermons and as a preacher of sermons.

I once read somewhere that the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint. I have since heard it applied to being a pastor as well. The implications of both are clear – plan and prepare for the long haul and not a short trip.

Jesus had a similar analogy in Matthew 13 when talking about a seed. There are many stages in a plant from germination to a full-grown seed bearing plant. Until an adult plant bears a good seed it has not completed its purpose. The seed that germinates and grows but dies with no root is the same value as the seed that didn’t take root at all.

How many of us have known a person who came to faith and was on fire for God and now doesn’t even attend Church? How many of us have known a pastor who once preached with great passion and now doesn’t even preach?

I know that there are literally dozens of factors that cause these sad situations, but I want you to be aware of a couple of these.

1) Regular Soul Maintenance. I believe everyone needs to pray daily. Everyone needs to read their Bible at least 4 days a week. Everyone needs to attend a worship service weekly. Everyone needs to serve, at the very least, monthly.
* Too many people have too much “down time” away from the life of faith. They quit reading their Bible for long stretches of time, they quit praying and they skip Church. Their lack of time spent developing their faith leads to shallow or even no faith.

2) Regular Time Off. The opposite is also true. I watch too many Christians get excited about their faith and they serve every Sunday and often one or two more days each week in addition. They attend every program the Church offers. You see them at the Church building day after day.
*Too many people have no “down time” away from the life of faith. They never take a rest and they burn out over a long stretch of time. Eventually they quit because they have nothing left to offer.

I must admit, I have been guilty of being on both sides of this equation. I have skipped my quiet time and paid the price in my soul. I have also spend every hour focused on my faith and ministry and paid the price in my soul as well. There is thin line we must walk between too much down time and too little, but it is a line we must walk. Which side do you find yourself on?

I like to take a few moments each year to reflect and on the previous year. Here are my personal statistics.

-Preached 51 times on Sunday morning
-Preached at 2 special programs (Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve)
-Taught 25 Sunday School Lessons
-Taught 5 youth group lessons
-Gave 4 leadership devotions
-Baptized 4 people personally
-Wrote 242 blog posts – which had 6,724 views by 1,948 unique visitors
-Attended 2 conferences (1 on marriage and 1 on change)
-Traveled 4,000 miles in a U-haul
-Led two Churches for 6 months each
-Uncounted number of prayers, meals with people, counseling sessions, visiting and miscellaneous work.

All in all it was a good year. God has continued to use me and bless me in numerous ways.

I have been reflecting on this past year and I have been thinking of all that God has taught me or at least re-taught me. Here a couple of thoughts.

1. Where God Guides God Provides. I heard this phrase early in ministry and it has proven true over and over again. This year God provided me with a place to move, a ministry to lead, funds for a U-haul, a house in Missouri, the sale of our house in Alaska, and every day with food and shelter. I have not missed any payments and have had items replaced that I had to leave behind (like mattresses) through other people’s generosity. When you take a new path because you are trying to follow God, I firmly believe He will show up in unbelievable ways.

2. Do Your Best for God and Let Him Provide the Results. I was looking over my blog stats for the year and I was amazed. In 2013 I wrote 201 post and had 1026 views by 240 unique visitors. This year I had about 9 times as many visitors and over 6 times as many views. What did I do different in 2014? Almost nothing. I promoted my blog through the Church I serve and I know that Adrian Church is bigger than Homer, but that does not explain all the unique visitors. I find that God takes what I write and somehow connects it with people who need to hear it. God continues to use my life and ministry to bless, encourage and teach other people in ways that I could not do on my own. Last year I had the opportunity to baptized 4 people and only 1 of those was I really working with in 2013. Two of them I didn’t even know existed. God brought people into my life that needed to hear what I had to say. He has used me last year and I know He will use me this year. I know He can do the same for you.

What happened for you in 2014? What lessons did God teach you or remind you of during the year? I look forward to a great 2015 because the God who led me in 2014 is still in charge. Praise God.

As many of you know I have been on vacation for 12 of the last 14 days. It was a much-needed break to spend time with my family and especially my wife. Last year I preached 51 out of 52 weeks and the only week I didn’t preach I was driving a 26 foot U-haul across Canada headed to Adrian. My mind and emotions were worn down from a long year. It is hard to believe that only one year ago I was preparing my resume and thinking about the possibility of leaving Alaska and now I am 4,000 miles away in a new town serving a different Church. It has been a year of prayer, struggle, emotions, moving, learning new people and places and trusting God to put it all together. It was a good year but exhausting. The last two weeks have helped me to relax and refocus.

First, we had a wonderful Christmas highlighted by a great Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve my family and 110 of our closest friends joined together for a candlelight program at the Church. I thought it was a great experience for everyone. Personally my family and I were blessed by numerous cards and gifts through this time. We want to thank everyone who thought of our family during this holiday season. Thanks for your love, support and kind words.

Second, we had a wonderful new year highlighted by our 20th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that I have been married over 20 years and I thank God for our time together. My parents came down to visit with us for Christmas and then Michelle and I took a vacation together while they spoiled the kids. We didn’t do anything big this year like we had originally hoped, but it was a wonderful time anyway. We toured Missouri while shopping, eating good food and just spending time together. I thank God for every moment of this break.

So today I am back in the office chair. I will be writing again 4-5 times a week. I will be preaching again, with 4 planned Sunday’s off through the year. I will be teaching again while trying to plan some conference time to be taught. I am dreaming again of another great year in my life, my family and the life of the Church I serve.

Thanks to everyone for your support and I look forward to another year together.

Several years ago, shortly after my wife and I were married, we had to do the traditional holiday travel. At this time we lived in Indiana where my family lived and wife’s family lived in Wisconsin. The plan was simple to us, Christmas Eve with her family and Christmas day with mine. Our house was in between the two and we could spend Christmas morning at our own home. So off we went, by Christmas Eve morning we were in Wisconsin. By the time we arrived, it had become unbearably cold. Yet, we were young and unwilling to waver from our plans. Shortly after dinner we loaded up the car and headed back toward our home on that cold Christmas Eve evening.
Our journey led us down to the city of Rockford, Illinois where we caught interstate 90 to Chicago. Shortly before we turned onto 90 we saw a sign in front of a bank showing the temperature to be a minus one-degree. My wife and I both agreed the wind chill must be substantially lower. We were just thankful we didn’t have to be out in it.
About two miles after taking the interstate highway we noticed a car on the right side of the road with its hazard lights blinking. A short distance from the car we saw a man walking. I quickly sped by wondering what was going on for this man. My wife, who is far more thoughtful than I am, shouted for us to turn the car around and help him out. Without thinking I was crossing the median and was headed back the other way.
Here I am on Christmas Eve at around ten at night in temperatures below zero driving to help someone I had never met. My wife and I agreed for someone to be out under these circumstances it must be a real emergency. Quickly we pulled over and picked him up.
He was a middle aged African American male from Chicago. He was also headed home for Christmas when his car died. Now just a two hour drive from home he was unsure what to do.
At first we took him to a nearby phone and let him make some calls. No one was home who could help and all those who were home could offer no valuable help. While he was on the phone my wife and I agreed to take him home. Although we were not sure what that would mean, we wanted to help. He accepted our offer and hopped back in the car.
For the next couple hours we told him about who we were and various boring details about our life. He quietly listened and then told us all about himself. I can’t remember his name or much of anything he told us. It was just simple random small talk.
After a while he said we could just drop him off at a store and someone could come get him. Nonsense. We have come this far; we are going all the way. And that is what we did. We took an exit unknown to me, then down a strange street into a dark neighborhood with rows and rows of houses. “Here it is,” he stated and we pulled the car over. I do remember it was 12:05 a.m. when I opened the car door. Without hesitation we all stepped out and said, “Merry Christmas.” We even began to hug one another. Then across the street he ran to the house with the lights on and a family waiting inside.
My wife and I got back in the car and drove a while without talking. If we did talk, I sure don’t remember it. The rest of the evening was spent driving the remaining two hours home – quietly thinking. I thought about it all that night and I still think about it today. To this day I have only told this story once. We didn’t do it for self-glorification. We did it because it was the right thing to do at Christmas.
My hope today, as I stare out on this cold world, is that we would all live like everyday was Christmas.

Years ago I used have a Top 7 list every Sunday at a Church I served. I have kept them all in a file. Here are a couple to enjoy.

Top Ten Signs Christmas Will Be Here Soon
7. Pumpkin guts all over my porch.
6. Police investigate the season’s first sleigh jacking.
5. The summer line of swimsuits is out at the mall
4. One word, “bell ringers,” OK that’s two but you get the point
3. People say, “Merry Christmas!” before cursing at you.
2. The cranky old man next door starts putting out reindeer traps.
1. Because I am now just getting around to taking last years lights down.

Top Seven Least Popular Christmas Carols
7. Stalking in a Winter Wonderland
6. Jingle Bell Mosh
5. I Have An Irregular Heartbeat Pa-Rum-Pum-Pum-Pum
4. Rudolph, The Red Neck Reindeer
3. Joy to the world, their season’s done, the Chiefs can lose no more
2. Frothy, the Rabid Snowman
1. Elmo roasting on an open fire

Top 7 Signs You Might Be A Scrooge
7. You turn on the lawn sprinklers to keep Carolers away
6. You got your Christmas tree at a rest stop at night
5. Your favorite Christmas movie is Jurassic park
4. Your favorite pastime is putting defective bulbs in your neighbor’s Christmas lights
3. You bought all your Christmas gifts at a store that also sells gas
2. Your favorite Christmas tradition involves a fire and reindeer meat
1. Your only holiday decoration is a rotting pumpkin

This is not self-serving. I promise you – it is not. Last week I wrote a blog post about Christmas cards over HERE. I was a little surprised when I looked at my blog information on Monday about how many hits that post had accumulated. Then upon further research, many of those hits had come from people searching the phrase, “what do I write in a Pastor’s Christmas card?” I guess people want to let their pastor know how much they care but have no idea how to do it. With that in mind, I am writing this post. Not so that people in my congregation will write me a lovely card, but so that all people in all congregations can give their pastor a nice card for Christmas.

So here are my thoughts on what I would like to hear as a pastor in my Christmas card.

1. Tell the Truth. Be honest. Don’t exaggerate. Many people will write about how much they love their Church and their pastor and then only attend once a month. If you really loved me and my preaching, you would be here more often. Your Pastor knows the truth, and you do not have to lie and exaggerate your love for him and his ministry. Here is a line I like: “Every sermon I have heard is well done.” Or something like: “I can tell that you really do care about people.”
2. Be Specific. It honors me that some people “enjoy all my sermons.” But I would rather hear someone tell me that they understand grace better since I speak about it regularly. Tell me which sermon or sermon topic you liked. Tell me what you have learned from me specifically. Tell me about the time I prayed with you. Tell me how much you appreciated that visit, and I said that one thing. You get the idea.
3. Avoid Passive Aggressive Statements. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the things some people write. I have read things like, “I enjoyed that one time you visited with me, and I wish you would do it again.” I know that people are well-intentioned, but some cards are used as a backhanded way to tell me what they want. I once received a card with money inside as a gift, and the card then proceeded to tell me how I could use the money to purchase some nicer clothes to wear on Sunday. I appreciate the thought, but it also hurt me.
4. Compliment My Wife. People often have nice things to say about me and are very complimentary. Well, my wife donates hundreds of hours to the Church each year just because I am the Pastor. It makes me feel like we are both loved when you mention her and her efforts in my ministry.
5. Mention Your Prayers. Several times in the New Testament, Paul tells a Church or an individual that he is praying for them. Of those times, he often mentions specifically what he is praying for. He tells the Church that he is praying they will understand the fullness of Christ. He tells individuals that he is praying for their ministry. Obviously, do not lie (once again). But if you do regularly pray for your pastor, tell him. It is wonderfully empowering.

I know this is a short list and there are many more things that could be said. I beg you again not to think this is self-serving. You do not have to run out and get me a card and write all these things in them specifically. I hope that you will share this information with people in other Churches so that they can bless their Pastor’s life this Christmas. I also would say that many of these ideas apply to the elder or deacon you are sending a card. Any Church leader loves to hear about how they are appreciated for what they are doing for God. May your words be a blessing to those who serve in ministry.

I originally wrote this article about 6 years ago when my kids were smaller. It think it bears repeating —

A question that I always receive this time of year, especially with having kids, is, “What do you tell your kids about Santa?” I know it sounds simple, but I think there are some bigger issues underlying that question.
First, I personally tell my kids that Santa is a nice story that people like to tell. It is kind of like Larryboy, Superman, or even Huck Finn. Nice stories created by nice, well-intentioned people. The stories may have some roots in history, but primarily serve the purpose of communicating a truth. With Santa, I learn that giving is better than receiving.
Second, my objections are more biblical than personal. What does it benefit my kids to lie to them? If I act like some mythical person (or creature) is real like Santa, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy or whatever else is real, “How does that help them?” I tell them that mommy and daddy (along with grandma and grandpa) bought them their gifts. We did it because we love them and want them to enjoy the holiday. More than that, I tell them that God provided us with the money to purchase those gifts. God is the ultimate giver and that is the biggest lesson to learn. Then, I want them to understand that we are to be giving people – just like God.
The bigger problem I see is what happens when my kids find out Santa is not real. I think I lose some credibility with my children. “If my parents are lying to me about this, what else are they lying to me about?” My deepest fear is that they will question the existence of God. If I lied to them about Santa, whom they have never seen, maybe I lied to them about God, whom they have also never seen?
I have yet to have one parent give me a descent answer when I ask the question, “What does it benefit my children (or me) to lie to them about Santa?” There is no benefit that I can see. So, I spend Christmas telling my kids about the great God we serve who gave us his one and only Son.

Through the years I have bemoaned the fact that most Christian “book stores” have become a place to buy religious trinkets. There you can get a plastic cross, an expensive picture, a Christian video and even “TestaMints.” Part of the reason this has happened is the simple law of supply and demand. People want to show off their faith and so we buy a Christian T-shirt instead of giving the money to the needy. The T-shirt industry is plenty happy enough to supply the shirts at an often ungodly mark up. This thinking reaches its peak at Christmas. Christians hit the Christian bookstore with the same enthusiasm as they do Wal-mart and buy lots of over-priced religious junk to give away. As a pastor I know this is true because I am often the recipient.

So today I want to suggest that there are better gifts that you can give.

1. Beneficial Gifts – Find a need and meet it. I highly recommend you ask a teacher or school administrator of a child in need. In bigger communities there may be some resistance but often if you tell them why you are asking they will help point you in the right direction. Ask around and I bet there is someone in your life who has a need. Find those people and give them something they need. Side note – shoes are getting very expensive ($80-$150 for sneakers) and my wife sees several students who only have one pair.

2. Personal Gifts – My wife likes to keep lists of what other people like. Do they like chocolate or peanut butter? What color do they like? How many kids do they have? And so on. Then when a gift is given it lines up with what the person really likes. It shows that you know that person and really do care about them. Through the years I have been enormously blessed by people who gave me something that I really liked far more than being given another Bible Verse in a frame.

3. Unexpected Gifts – I bet the janitor at your work does not expect a gift. Neither does your neighbor. Neither does your boss or co-worker. Who in your life gets overlooked for Christmas gifts? Surprise them with something small … and maybe you do not even tell them who it is from.

4. Unreciprocated Gifts – Jesus spoke about giving without expecting repayment. Often we give to someone because we want them to do something in return. Something like, “I will give something to my boss this Christmas, and then he will remember that when it is time for a raise.” I just read of a couple in a Church who paid for a year of a Bible College student’s tuition. They know he can’t repay it, and that’s the point.

5. Timely Gifts – Take the older couple a meal the day after Christmas. Tell that young couple that you will watch their kids for free so they can have a night out. Look at the stage of life someone is in and ask, “What would be the most beneficial to them right now?” Parents are often looking for a break. Seniors are often looking for company.

I know this is a generic list. I know this is not a complete list. I have just been thinking about what I want to do for other people this Christmas and I use these ideas to guide me. Maybe they are helpful to you. I hope you have the most wonderful Christmas ever. I pray that your life is a blessing to others in every way, especially through the gifts that you give.