When you hear applicable advice about how to live as a Christian one time, it is worth taking your time to listen and do it.

When you hear the same instruction a second time from a different person, it is probably more than a coincidence. Perhaps the Lord is underlining something you should do.

When you receive the same coaching for your life a third time, it is definitely God speaking to you. Three independent statements from various people are not a fluke.

One part of being connected to other believers is that they can help you to hear the voice of God in your life. Even when they don’t know they are doing it.

My children asked me a question I had answered repeatedly, and I paused and gave a loud sigh.

It is a simple way of communicating frustration, disappointment, and disbelief. Have I not told you already? Were you not listening to me at all? Have I not explained it well enough?

One loud sigh.

I wonder if Jesus ever sighed. When the disciples asked him the same question again? When the crowds were only interested in more bread and healing? When no one seems to understand what he is teaching about the kingdom of God?

Did he ever feel like he was not getting through to people and just sigh?

I will never know if he did it when he walked on the earth, but I am convinced he does it with me each day. Did he do that again? Does he not remember what happened the last time he prayed? How can he be so slow to learn?

Then I think about my kids and when I sighed at them. It was a pause so that I could slow down and make sure they got it correct this time. It was a chance for me to catch my breath and try one more time to explain myself.

I am sure of it. Jesus sighs. At least I know he continually does it with me. Hoping maybe this time I will listen closely and do what he tells me to do.

The teacher, whose name I do not remember, made a passing comment that I wrote down. They said there are three foundational questions that everyone asks about the Bible. They do this whether they are conscious of it or not.

1. What does it mean?

2. Do I agree with it?

3. Will I do it?

People read the Bible countless hours, trying to understand what it means. It is the driving force behind most Churches.

However, questions 2 and 3 are more significant. 

Once we understand the passage, we see if it aligns with everything else we have been taught or experienced. If not, we find ourselves in the quandary of trying to align both concepts. If we cannot harmonize the Bible with other information, then most people will discard what they recently learned in favor of the past.

If we do manage to see what the scriptures teach corresponds to what we know, then there is this final step of applying it. Just because we know the correct thing to do does not mean we will automatically do it.

It is a good thing to know what the Bible says, but we must let it rewrite our understanding of the world and transform the way we behave. If we don’t address questions 2 and 3, then we are only gaining information to fill us with pride, and the whole project is self-defeating.

People always ask me how I can memorize a whole sermon and preach without notes. Usually, they mention how smart I must be to do it. One of my most common responses is to say that it is my job.

Then I ask what they do for a career. Once they answer, whatever the job is – mechanic, plumber, welder, teacher, chef, administrator, whatever – I tell them that if I had to do their job, I would have to have a notebook to write down all the things they do by memory.

People have all types of skills embedded in their minds, and they use them so much that they are second nature. Most of them only notice their vast knowledge when they encounter a novice at their job and have to keep explaining things to them.

My point is this: many people limit themselves and the ways they think God can use them because they don’t think they have the needed abilities. Skills are learned and developed through experience and repetition. The more you do it, the smarter you become. 

I am here to tell you that you are smarter than you think.

Often, before Christians can share their faith with others, some work needs to be done.

This usually includes trying to overcome bad Christian experiences and stereotypes. Those outside of faith frequently have negative views about believers, and many even have stories to share with their thoughts. 

One of my goals whenever I encounter a non-Christian is to give them a positive impression of Christians.

For years, this was my approach to doing weddings. I wanted to give people their very best experience with a pastor and the Church. Our Church does VBS for the same reason. We want children and their families to love their time at the Church. This is part of the plan behind our weekly youth group. This thinking shapes our Easter and Christmas programs as well.

This mindset also flows into my interactions with restaurant wait staff, neighbors, and every casual encounter with people in my community. Those people might not know I am a Christian initially, but if they ever do, I want them to remember me with joy.   

Most of the time, before someone is open to the message of Jesus, there needs to be some work of “pre-evangelism.” We need to open people’s minds to the possibility of faith by letting them see and experience it in action.

If you want people to hear the good news, you often have to work the ground before you can plant the seed.   

The person asked, “What is the purpose of this blog of yours?”

My first reaction is to state all the things that it is not. It is not a way for me to build followers and construct a platform for my ministry. There is zero financial gain as well. I am not attempting to dig into my sermons and further my work from Sunday morning. This is not even a deep Bible study of passages that some people want every day.

This blog is a collection of thoughts, ideas, meanderings, and writings that fit nowhere else in my ministry. They are little nuggets that I want to share with people that might challenge, encourage, or cause people to act or think a little differently.

The articles here are intended to be short clips of how God is working in my life and ministry. They are tiny pictures taken from a preacher’s mind about faith and the Church.

I have no agenda and no reason to do this. The purpose of this blog is the same as the purpose of my life: to bring glory to God in even the smallest of things. I gain nothing by doing this other than the joy of knowing that maybe one life was impacted for the kingdom of God.

Christians believe they are saved in Christ Jesus to do good works. We receive salvation not by our works but for us to do good works.

One problem area for many Christians is they define “being good” passively.

They did not yell at the lady at the supermarket. When everyone else was speaking meanly about a coworker, they remained silent. As their anger increased at the spouse, they chose to walk away. At the time, they could have made things worse, but they decided to let things go. 

In reality, they did not DO anything. They refrained from doing what felt natural in the moment.

While this may be an excellent first step in changing your life for Jesus, the next step is to become actively good. Jesus gives us the “Golden Rule” in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Actively doing for others what we would want them to do for us is different than passively not doing to others what we would not want people to do for us.

One enormous step in your spiritual growth is to make the shift from passivity to activity.

Sometimes, you may feel like you are not enough.

You are not smart enough, strong enough, or equipped with enough skills to do what you think God is leading you to do.

The Biblical answer to this feeling is, “You are right. You are not enough on your own.”

Once, Paul felt like an issue was keeping him from doing all that he wanted him to do. He prayed about it. He literally pleaded with God to fix his shortcomings three times.

Paul wrote this in his second letter to the Church at Corinth. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

You are not enough. You will never be enough. But when you walk with God, he will compensate for all you lack. His power is made perfect in your weakness.

God and you together are enough to accomplish anything.

Whenever a difficult situation arises, the best group of people to help are Christians. They are equipped with love, compassion, grace and forgiveness. They have servants’ hearts, are generous, have no pride to keep them from doing anything, and desire the best for others. If struggles occur, the group of people who follow Jesus should always be the first to act.

The thing you need to understand is that if you are a believer, then YOU are the best person to act.

There is a major shift in the heart of an individual when their thinking moves from “the Church should do something” to “I should do something.”

As a Church leader and a follower of Jesus, I always have my eyes on issues that Christians are currently facing. I also watch for topics that I need to address in the coming year or two. Here is my current list. (Is there anything you would like to add?)

1. Proper Interpretation. There is a growing need for people to understand how to interpret the Bible correctly. With so much information available today, most people do not know how to read and understand the scriptures. As a result, they accept anything anybody says about the Bible without asking the right questions. I plan to teach the best practices and tools.

2. Understanding Covenants. I see an enormous need to help people understand the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. This issue will help people to understand the role of the laws and how they align with grace.

3. Redefining Terms. I do not mean giving old terms new modern definitions but instead giving the old definitions again and again. People use words like sovereignty, predestination, covenant, baptism, and even discipleship and do not know the Biblical definition. Often, what people know is how someone in the media defines it. So, we end up using the same words but do not mean the same thing.

4. The Holy Spirit. For years, I have struggled to understand and teach the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. I am sure this is also true for most Christians. We need to get a Biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit and how he works in us.

5. Discipleship. Gaining a better understanding of discipleship has been my most significant project of the last two years. I am growing more convinced that it is not a book or quick program. It is about connecting people and walking with them for an extended time until they reach maturity in the faith.

These are some of the things I am seeing. As I plan my sermons for the future and programs for the Church, these linger in the back of my mind. I am sure that as soon as I address these, new issues will be just over the horizon.