While typing my blogs for this week, my phone rang. While I didn’t recognize the number, I did know the location and thought of several people who might be calling. I answered, and the voice on the other end said they were calling from my Alma Mater.

My mind went to the same place it always does; I bet they are going to ask for money. As if the voice was reading my mind, he said, “Don’t worry, I am not calling to ask for anything.”

He went on to say he was with the Alumni Association, and they were reaching out to see how I was doing and if I needed special prayers for anything. I have to be honest; I was taken aback. No one ever gets in touch with me “just because.” There is always a plea for something.

Not this time. The young voice was very kind, asked a few questions, and assured me that he would say a prayer for me, and then he hung up.

That one insignificant call was a blessing to me today. It always feels good to know that other people care and are praying for you. However, it was also a challenge: Who do I need to call now to keep spreading the blessing? How about you?

It is the time of year here in the Midwest when I spend several hours a day sitting in a tree stand waiting for a deer. Honestly, I love this time of year for so many reasons. I am able to spend numerous hours outside in the fresh air. I enjoy watching the wildlife behave as though I were not there. I love the sights, sounds, and smells of fall that come with each day in the woods.

The biggest thing I enjoy most during this season is time to think. Every time I head out, I take a book or Kindle, a notebook, my phone, and a charger. I can sit there and read or listen to a podcast and take the time to process my thoughts. Time slows down, and for a few hours, I am not busy rushing to the next thing.

As my time winds down each day, I take out a notebook and write down all my ideas, thoughts, insights, questions, and observations. Then, at the end of the season, I will sift through the notes to see if there is anything usable.

I believe everyone needs to build into their calendar some time to think. Perhaps God wants you to open your eyes to a new concept, ministry, or direction in your life, and you will not slow down long enough to hear him.

Quiet reflection is a gift to the soul and I am blessed to spend time outside doing it this time of year. Let me ask you, when was the last opportunity you had to sit down and think, especially about the things of God?  

One difficulty in teaching the Bible is that every person has a part they specifically do not want to hear about. The Bible gives the truth about your thoughts and actions but also the motive behind them. This includes addressing things from greed to gossip, lust to love, and anger to apathy.

Not liking the information you read in the Bible does not make it less accurate.

Some will find arguments against its instruction, and others will agree with their conclusions. But that does not make it correct.

If the clear teaching of scripture prohibits certain behaviors and the attitudes behind them, then they are wrong, no matter how you feel about it.

I am struggling to know how to do ministry these days. Where I live in the Midwest, things were fairly normal until 2020 and Covid. Pastors on the East and West coasts had been describing what was happening in their Church communities, and it had not hit my Church until then.

The massive shift is that people attend worship 1-2 times a month. It used to be that people were here 3-4 times a month, and an absence was the exception, not the rule. Now, people come once or twice, and it will take a month to six weeks before I see them again.

This change has led me to many questions that I am still not sure how to answer:

1. How do you preach a sermon series to people who might only be here for one sermon in it?
2. How do you disciple people who are not here regularly to learn, connect, and serve?
3. How do I care for people when they attend 12-15 times a year and few are connected to them?
4. How do I help people live like Jesus when they are so busy with other things?
5. How do I get people to know their Bible in this culture?

As I dream and ask God to direct me into 2025 and beyond, these questions are plaguing my soul. I have no idea how to minister in this world. I am struggling to assist people in following Jesus, growing in faith, and becoming spiritually mature.

The world has changed while the Church remains on the same mission of making more and better disciples. Lately, I have more questions than answers, and I pray that God will direct me and other Church leaders in ways that will help us do his work effectively.

We are 14 days away from the celebration of Thanksgiving here in the United States.

One project I would challenge you to do during this time is to become a more thankful person. Would you be willing to spend a few minutes each night at dinner or before bed and list at least five things you are grateful for?

This does not have to be a huge event. Simply say in a prayer, “Thanks God for giving me today …” Then fill in the blank with at least five things. Some days, coming up with five might be challenging, but most days, I bet you can come up with six to ten items.

We spend a great deal of energy getting into the “spirit of Christmas,” perhaps it is equally important to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving.

We make time for whatever we value the most.

I don’t care what you have scheduled for the rest of the week; if you receive a call that your spouse has been hurt in an accident, then suddenly you find a way to spend time at their bedside.

On the flip side, when you tell someone, “I am too busy” or “I don’t have time.” What you are really saying is, “I don’t value that enough to make time for it.”

Take a few minutes and evaluate where your time goes. That will show you how much you truly value your spouse, children, friends, and the Lord.

It is easy to convince yourself that you value certain things based on your intentions rather than your actions.

The musician was walking through her house, showing off her palatial estate. She stopped in a little room set up for writing and recording music and said, “This is where the magic happens.”

What she meant was that this was the place where she felt inspired to be creative. This was the room where ideas, dreams, and music combined to create the hit songs she produced.

In the Church I lead, there is no place where “magic” happens, but in my office, the Holy Spirit works creatively through me. It is the room where I pray and ask for God’s guidance. It is where I spend countless hours reading, researching, and writing out my ideas on paper. It is where I sit in front of my computer to type in my thoughts to create sermons and lessons.

Powerful speaking is not the result of magical creativity; it is the result of prayer, study, observation, and experience coming together as God guides. The Holy Spirit then takes what I have done and uses those words to touch the hearts and lives of people.

Is it sometimes unexplainable? Yes. Is it all about God’s power through people teaching his word? Again, I hope the answer is always yes.

We often gravitate towards what is familiar, even when it is unhealthy or detrimental. We find ourselves returning to old relationships, habits, and patterns of thinking simply because they are known quantities.

The unknown, however positive it may be for us, can be daunting. When we venture into unfamiliar territory, we lose the ability to predict the outcome with certainty. This uncertainty requires us to trust in something beyond our immediate instincts. And there is always the lingering fear that the new path could make our situation worse.

You do not have to be an addict to keep making detrimental choices. Repeatedly reverting to unhealthy decisions based on familiarity will never allow us to break free from our struggles and challenges.

Stepping into the unknown can be scary, but it is often the key to personal growth and positive change. New choices, even when they feel risky, open the door to transformation and a better future.

My wife and I have a continual conversation about the people in our Church. This conversation has led us to a few simple truths that we repeat to each other almost daily.

First – We cannot control the actions of others. No matter how poorly we think the decisions they are making, we have no control, and all we can do is point them in the right direction.

Second – They will have to answer to God for their lives. All we can do is preach, teach, and disciple in the ways of Jesus. They will be held accountable for what they did with their time, talent, and resources.

Third – We will also answer to God for what we did. We are trying to do everything possible to help people on their walk with Jesus. God knows we are trying our best even when people ignore us.

Fourth – We have to let things go for us to stay healthy. This is by far the most challenging thing we do. Sometimes, we watch people mess up their lives, lead their children in painful directions, and waste their time and talent. But at the end of the day, we have to let it go emotionally, or it will kill us.

Both my wife and I love people deeply and want to see them live like Jesus. Few of them do, and watching it all transpire is one of the most significant challenges in ministry.

Loss is not a one-time event. It is a process that takes a lifetime.

Recently, I picked up my phone to call my dad. He has been gone for years now, but he was the only person I knew who could help me. His name and number are still on my phone, and it feels like he hasn’t been gone that long.

I stared at the phone and cried for a while.

The feeling of loss comes at moments that I do not expect. They hit hard and cut deep into my soul. I grieve. Then, I move on and try to regain my balance.

Revelation 21 describes heaven. We are told that God will wipe every tear from the eyes of his people, and there will be no more death. Then it goes on to say that there will be no more mourning, crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Not only is death removed, but the mourning and crying caused by previous impacts of death will also be removed. Loss takes a lifetime to walk through, but thank God it doesn’t last an eternity.