It was a gas station explicitly designed with semi-drivers in mind. First, the parking lot was huge, with an extra area in the back so they could park all night when needed. There were also big bathrooms with plenty of stalls for those required road breaks. Next to the bathrooms were showers where the drivers could get clean on long trips. Literally everything inside the store made it clear that this gas station was created for trucker drivers. Unsurprisingly, the place was packed with little room remaining the night I stopped.

When the Church says it exists to reach lost people for Jesus, I often wonder if that is true. It seems that if you wanted to reach people far from God, you would design everything to help them take their next step.

Unfortunately, most Churches only give lip service to the idea of reaching new people for Jesus. This is seen in how they design their building, the programs they provide, and how everything happens each Sunday. Everything is geared toward the already converted.

I believe the Church should be a light in each community where they exist. One way to shine that light is to design things in the Church so that people can see the light without having to squint. 

When I started as a Christian, I dreamed of changing the world.

I wanted to lead a big organization, start a global movement, rally people to a cause and do something that would make the world take notice. I wanted to be the next Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, Albert Schweitzer, or Martin Luther King Jr.  Better yet; I would like to be them all rolled into one.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was none of those people. No one knew my name, and very few noticed my accomplishments. My life was going to be lived in obscurity no matter how hard I worked to make a difference.

For some people, that realization might be the opportunity to quit. I could give up my efforts to change the world and spend my days focused on myself. No one else cares about me, so why not devote my days to caring for myself?

Instead, I realized that while I might not be able to change THE world, I do have the opportunity to change A world. I could help someone, anyone, experience the love of Jesus. I could attempt to improve one person’s life through my efforts. I cannot help everyone, but I can help someone. 

Changing the world is a grand dream few realize; changing a world is something all of us can do.

These letters first appeared in print in 1613. They are the abbreviation for Rest In Peace. It is often placed on a tombstone and used in reference to our hopes for the deceased. “After a lifetime of struggle, I hope they rest in peace.”

I do NOT want to rest in peace. I want to see Jesus.

I want to bow at the master’s feet. I want to sing my praises to him. I want to encounter the source of my forgiveness and express my deepest gratitude.

When this life is over, I do want to find rest, but I want that to be in the arms of Jesus.

Numerous outside influences impact our souls. These can range from a traumatic childhood, lies told by loved ones to health struggles. 

On top of that, we have the self-inflicted wounds brought on by our own mistakes, sins, and addictions. We deal with guilt, shame, and the consequences of poor decisions.

Here is the hard truth, everyone is dealing with their issues in some manner. Unfortunately, we do not walk through difficulties of either kind and come out unscathed. These things have an impact on our souls.

Everyone is handling their life struggles. Some do it in a healthy way, and others in an unhealthy way. But know, even avoiding our problems is our way of handling them.

The ultimate question is not, “Are you going to deal with your issues?”; instead, it is “How are you dealing with your issues?”

I was sitting in a conference workshop when the leader said this line, “Disciples are handcrafted one at a time.”

He explained the difference between something mass-produced in a factory and something made by a local artisan. One is automated and quick, while the other is slow and methodical. One produces items that are fine for use, but the production value is usually low. The other is a high-quality product formed by the hands of a master.

His point was that when believers seek to make disciples in the image of Jesus, we cannot treat the Church like a factory that can crank out one after another. Instead, the Church is like a community of local craftsmen pouring their time and energy into one person at a time. Everyone is handled with care as a unique creation designed to serve the Lord’s needs.

In a world of mass production, disciples are still handcrafted one at a time.

Sitting in my son’s closet is a box of medals and trophies. They were primarily given for success in sports. He excelled in football, basketball, and baseball while playing with some great teammates. There are also a few for academic achievements. Various quiz bowl victory awards are found inside. There are also prizes from a lifetime of events and activities that serve as rewards for his hard work.

All those medals were once proudly displayed as monumental achievements. There were hours of practice devoted to perfecting his skill. Then, more hours of study and mental preparation were required. Then he performed in a way that allowed him to get the prize. Pictures were taken and placed on social media. He boasted about his achievements and had the metal to prove his prowess. 

Now. They sit in a box in my closet, about 100 miles from where he lives. He has no desire to take them, and I don’t have the heart to throw them away. Once, these metals garnered pride, and now they gather dust. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Ephesus and told them this truth about people. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:25 – NIV 2011). 

Every metal, prize, and trophy will one day be trash. If not, they will be held onto by a family member who doesn’t value them but can’t bring themselves to throw them away. Paul encourages the people who follow Jesus to spend their life and energy trying to do something for eternity. It is the only thing that will truly last a lifetime … and more. 

I am now leading my third Church through the creation of Bylaws or recreating them after years of neglect. Along with that, I am putting together a policy and procedure manual to accompany them. Once again, I am spending long hours reading administrative paperwork for the Church.

Every time I do this or walk someone else through this adventure, I realize that most smaller Churches create policies to fix problems that happened in the past. For example, once upon a time, a person tried to take over the Church, and they set up policies so that would never happen again. Someone attempted to sway a vote for something, and they developed a plan to prevent its recurrence. 

For the local Church to grow and move forward in ministry, it must stop looking at the past and turn its thoughts toward the present and the future. Instead of trying to fix yesterday’s mistakes, the Church should make plans for a more significant impact in the name of Jesus tomorrow. It is a subtle shift but necessary to reach people for Jesus.

If you read my blog regularly, it is possible you have seen multiple posts on the same topics. As I did a little searching of my writing, I discovered that sometimes things written years apart are almost identical.

This happens because I have come to emphasize only a handful of topics in my ministry. Of course, I want to preach and teach from the “whole counsel of God,” but within my life and context, a few issues always appear. 

Most of what I say and write fall under the categories of Jesus, the Bible, conversion, discipleship, and life as a follower of Jesus, particularly in the Church. I don’t often address things such as end times, apologetics, time management, psychological issues, money management, counseling, parenting, and current events. These are not the essential ministry God has given to me. I will handle them when necessary or when I feel God has given me something to say. My primary focus is on following Jesus and how we live together as a community of believers.

The question is not, “Why doesn’t Matt address everything?”; instead, it is “What is the main message God has laid on your heart?”

If each one of us speaks with informed knowledge about the passions given to us by Jesus, then as a Christian community, together, we will completely share the message of faith. 

When people grow up and become adults, they take responsibility for themselves. They start paying their own bills, making their own food, and handling all the affairs of their own life.

Then one day, they reach a new level of maturity. That is the day they start taking care of other people. This could include caring for a newborn or an aging parent. There is this shift from a self-centered focus to an others-centered one.   

The other day I watched someone and saw an even higher level of maturity. That is when someone starts caring for other people without being asked and without obligation. This person saw a need and stepped up to help despite them not being connected in any way. 

What is true of physical maturity is also true for spiritual maturity. The closer someone gets to Jesus, the more they are willing to step up and serve others without being asked, even when they have nothing to gain from it. 

The pastor said that their Church was no longer targeting lost people only. He referenced the stories of Jesus in Luke chapter 15, which we call the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Then he said that their Church is now trying to reach lost and “wounded” people.

We often call the last story in that chapter of the Gospel of Luke the Prodigal Son. But when we take the time to look closely, it is not simply a story about someone who recklessly wasted their money and resources.

This man wished his father had died, left his brother behind, and started a new life. There he made poor choices that resulted in him losing all his money. Then he thought he had hit the bottom of the barrel as he went to feed pigs, but he had further to fall. One day he sat with a desire to eat pig food. He had neglected his family, failed alone, and was now as low as a person might get. 

We label him a prodigal, but perhaps we should consider him a hurting person. He was someone wounded by life and the poor choices that people often make. He did not suffer at anyone else’s hands but knew the pain of self-inflicted wounds. We have the option to view them as people who threw their life away as a prodigal or as people who are hurting from years of personal trauma. 

The conclusion the leadership of their Church made was to start saying they were here to reach both lost and wounded people. While many might not understand they are lost, there is a world full of people who clearly know what it means to be wounded.