Every week, I have to sit down with my sermon and say, “What am I assuming these people know about the Bible?”

Do the people I am speaking to know what an Ephesian is or why they have a letter? Do they even know there are two testaments? Do they know who the Apostle Paul is?

What do I, as a preacher and teacher, assume others know when I am speaking to them?

If I am speaking to a group of Christians, I might start by saying, “Take out your Bibles.”

If I am speaking to non-Christians, I might start with a story that raises an issue many people struggle with today. Then say, “There was once a guy who lived in the first century who struggled with that very issue, and he wrote to some Christians who lived in the city of Ephesus. Let us open our New Testament that is, the second half of your Bible, to the letter named Ephesians.”

This also applies to the conversations you have every day with people about faith as well. We tend to assume that other people know the things we know, and that is seldom true. When we do this, we build up walls in our communication caused simply by a lack of understanding, not a rejection of content.

One rule I try to use when talking about things of faith to anyone is to assume they know nothing about religion or the Bible and start there. That way, you are always sure you are on the same page.

I do not feel like God is doing great things because I am a special tool in his toolbox.

God is doing great things through me in spite of me.

I firmly believe that is how he wants it. The goal of my life is not for people to say, “I want to be like him.” Instead, it is for people to say, “I want to worship his God.”

If God can lead people to a relationship with him through MY emotions, insecurities, anger, frustration, ignorance, and mistakes, then he can use anyone for his glory.

Great things happen in the hands of a master builder; the tools are irrelevant.

To truly understand people, you will have to invest enough time into them to learn their backstory.

If you knew how her parents treated her, her depressed attitude would not surprise you anymore.

If you knew how his first wife spoke to him, you would understand his constant anger.

If you knew about the cancer he survived ten years ago, it would be clear why he was such a grateful person.

If you knew about her multiple miscarriages, maybe you would understand her absolute love for working with babies.

Instead of spending your time and energy trying to figure them out, psychoanalyzing them, or gossiping about them, it is far more productive to get to know them and their backstory. Maybe then you will come to appreciate them and understand their actions just the way people have done with you.

We like the idea of growth. We enjoy talking about sharing Jesus and the good feeling that comes when someone makes their confession of faith and is baptized. But at a certain point, for most people, we would rather our Church stay the same size it is today.

We start attending a place of worship, and something about it “clicks” with us. We like the music, the people are friendly, and we enjoy the sense of connection to this community. Often, we can walk right up to our pastor and talk to him, invite him over to visit, and have him at our beck and call for all things Church related. We can use the building whenever we like for whatever we like. We can share our insights on what we enjoy and want at a Church, and other people will agree, value our opinions, and make adjustments.

Then, when a Church crests over 250 in average attendance, everything changes. EVERYTHING.

It is too great of a change for most people. Many quit and search for another small Church which feels more comfortable.

The Church we once loved now has people we do not know. The pastor is not always available. Building use has to be scheduled, and restrictions must be applied. Worship changes. No longer is everything comfortable the way it once was to us, and our opinions no longer seem to have the value they once did.

One of the biggest challenges for Churches is to keep reaching new people despite the displeasure of the Christians who attend currently. The biggest hurdle to a Church reaching new people with faith is often moving past the comfort level of its members.

It is a strange thing to recognize, but liking the “idea” of a Church reaching lots of new people is not the same thing as actually wanting your Church to do it.

Two things determine the longevity of your walk with Jesus.

1. Your Habits. Do you pray daily? Do you participate in worship weekly? Do you read your Bible regularly? How often do you serve, give, and fellowship with other believers? Every person I have met with a vibrant faith has developed habits that feed their soul.
2. Your Relationships. Do the people around you push you to grow in your walk of faith? If your friends do not have regular spiritual habits, the chances significantly increase that you will not have them either. If those around you have a “lukewarm” faith, then so will you. Do the people in your life inspire you to greater faith or reduce you to weaker faith? Show me the people who are closest to you in life, and I will be able to predict the long-term vibrancy of your convictions.

People are always looking for quick fixes to their spiritual life through the latest book or teacher. I believe the strongest Christians are the result of keeping good habits and developing quality relationships that help them grow closer to Jesus with time.

Recently, I was embarrassed. Every time I encountered this person, they seemed to have something wrong in their life. They were always struggling financially. There was always a health issue with them or someone they loved. It seemed that compared to them, I was enjoying the benefits of a richly blessed life.
I wrote down this question. How do I handle people who appear to be less richly blessed than I am?

After careful thought and consideration, I came to two conclusions.

First, I should count my blessings. I need to realize that all the beautiful things I have in my life are the result of God’s blessing, and I should thank him for even the little things that I often overlook.

Second, I need to resist pride. It is easy to think that the way I am experiencing life is the result of my intellect and choices when, in reality, they are a gift from God. I am no better or worse of a person than anyone else.

One challenge in my life is to be genuinely happy for other people when their lives do not go as well as mine. I need to see other people as companions and not competition. Finding joy in my blessings should be my default reaction, not superiority, for all God has given me.

Sometime soon, someone will tell you a story about a challenging experience they recently had. At that moment, you and I both have a choice. Will I follow the way of Jesus or feel pity for them for not being as wonderful of a person as I am?

Recently, I was unhappy. Every time I encountered this person, they seemed to be boasting about the events of their life. They always caught more or bigger fish. Their vacation this year was going to be better than mine. I could go on and on. They were enjoying the benefits of a richly blessed life.

I wrote down this question. How do I handle people who appear to be more richly blessed than I am?

Paul tells the Christians in the Church in Rome, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15 – NIV 2011)

My conviction is that it is easy to mourn with those who mourn. Seeing someone’s life fall apart, struggle through loss, or endure a difficult season pulls at the heartstrings. If someone else is crying, my empathy kicks in, and suddenly I am sad too.

When things go well for other people, often better than my life, rejoicing with them is hard. Usually, I feel angry that I wasn’t treated the same way. Is God even fair? This can lead to comparison, jealousy, resentment, and frustration.

One challenge in my life is to be genuinely happy for other people when their lives go better than expected. I need to see other people as companions and not competition. Finding joy in the success of others should be my default reaction, not anger.

Sometime soon, someone will tell you a story about a wonderful experience they recently had. At that moment, you and I both have a choice. Will I follow the way of Jesus and rejoice with them or not?

As we slide into the week of Thanksgiving, many of us will be entertaining guests. This season reminded me of a line I heard a teacher say at a conference a couple of years ago (I believe it was Beth DeFazio).

“Hospitality is making people feel at home when you wish they were at home.”

Like precious metals drawn from the earth, believers in Jesus undergo a transformation. Just as gold or silver must be refined, placed in a crucible, and heated repeatedly until all impurities rise to the surface and are removed, so too are Christians refined throughout their journey of faith.

The Master Refiner uses life’s challenges and trials as His purifying fire. Each experience serves a purpose – to gradually remove imperfections and reveal something of greater worth beneath. Through hardships, joys, failures, and triumphs, God works to cleanse the heart and soul of all that diminishes its value.

This divine refinement is a lifelong process. None of us has achieved perfection, yet each season brings new opportunities for growth and purification. Every challenge faced and every lesson learned brings us closer to reflecting the pure character that God envisions.

Though we may not yet shine with our full potential, we can take heart in how far we’ve come. Like precious metal emerging purer from the fire, we are being steadily refined into something beautiful.

Are the people closest to you developing a more robust faith by knowing you?

Do they see your example as one of commitment to Jesus?

Is there evidence in your life of being transformed by the power of the gospel for them to witness?

Are those around you increasing their love of God and other people?

What is your influence producing?

Know this – either you are influencing them to draw closer to God in faith, or you are not. Carefully evaluate the spiritual lives of the people closest to you, and you will see a reflection of yourself.