“Go”

Posted on by Fireproof

Sitting at a red-light the other day, I started to hear crying from our back seat and then a scream. Confused thinking something was wrong I looked in the mirror and then trend around only to find Elli starting to yell at me.  “Daddy, I don’t want you to stop.”  Honestly, I didn’t want to be stopped either, as I had been sitting there for what felt like forever waiting.  “Baby girl, I don’t have a choice, the light is red.”  For some reason I thought if I said ti calmly maybe she would understand.  Again as I have shared before trying to rationalize with a three year old doesn’t get very far.  The longer we sat there, the more she cried,  “I want to go home.”  As soon as the light turned green I was ready to go,  and that I did getting moving as fast as I could.  

Can you imagine with me if I just kept sitting there.  The light is now green and yet for some reason because I hadn’t thought through what I would do or get prepared for it, I didn’t move.  Now imagine the girls screaming, “DAD GO.”  

I continue thinking back to this moment when it comes to my prayer life. I don’t know how many messages I have heard throughout my life that speak of God answering prayers in 3 ways; yes, no, and wait.  Without a doubt there are definitely moments where God has to give us the red light, the all out stop, no go, bad idea, don’t even think about it answer.  Lets be honest, most of us hate those moments.  We want to go, to run ahead, and God is protecting you from the head on collision.  

Other times He gives us the wait.  Like I had sitting at the red light waiting upon the light to turn green.  I knew it was eventually coming, I just had to be patient.  How many of us are like Elli though, kicking and screaming about the idea of having to wait.  We don’t like the word wait in today’s culture.  We want the instant gratification, the here and now answer, or for some even the I want the answer yesterday.  What if God is saying in those moment’s you just aren’t ready yet.  I have to prepare you for what lies ahead.  Getting you to s spot in your life where you are ready to hit the gas and run.  

With a stop light we know the green is coming, correct.  What if there are times in our lives where God has made it clear that the green light is coming, and he is getting you ready.  What steps are you taking to get ready?  Are you continuing to trust Him that the green light is coming, or do you give up hope the longer you sit.  Do you get distracted by life, by your phone, by the noise, that when the light turns green instead of going, you just keep sitting.  The next thing you know the light is now red again.  

Are we so discouraged by things in your past that you now find yourself at a spot you have made up in your mind the light is never changing.  Is that how you pray?  Do you pray with a sense of hope, believing that God is going to come through or are you in the mindset that you will be stuck forever?  Are you preparing your heart, knowing the answer is coming?  What is distracting you?  

In Acts 12 Peter was imprisoned and the church earnestly prayed expecting God to move.  Waiting in anticipation, believing God for the miraculous.  Is that how we pray? In expectation of the “light to turn green” if you will.  Praying, in anticipation, expecting, preparing our hearts for when He moves!  One final thought about all this is obedience to go when the light is green to stop when the light is red, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

G.E.T. Jesus. Gratefully embrace the Journey

Posted on by Fireproof

“G.E.T. Jesus. Gratefully Embrace The Journey.”  An acronym I have learned to live by and hopefully by the time you are done reading this, it will be one you remember also. It was one of those sayings my dad would always try to instill to my brother and I growing up.  Especially when it came to road trips asking the question “are we there yet.”  (How many parents are tired of hearing that after this summer, and all the hands in the crowd go up.)  My parents would always talk to us and tell us how it isn’t always about the destination, sometimes it’s about the journey.  All we wanted as kids was to get to the mountains, the beach or camp.  My brother Travis was the impatient one and just wanted to be there yesterday.  Okay, I will admit it,  maybe that was me.  So when my dad sarcastically would say embrace the journey, I would go “yeah Dad I get it, but it still doesn’t get us there any faster.”

Now fast forward 20 years and as a dad myself I am starting to understand, especially after this past weekend.  You see it has become an annual tradition for my pops and I to take the boys to a Nascar race.  (For those of you out there making fun of me for being a Nascar fan, you can keep yapping, I can’t hear ya.). It is something we look forward to, a true highlight and memory for us, as the boys say, our “guys trip.”  So this year we went to Michigan, about a 5 hour drive or so.  Along the way we got the occasional whining and Silas asking numerous times how much longer.  After about the tenth time, my response turned into, “We are one minute closer than the last time you asked.  Finally when we got there it was like a being a kid in a candy store for our boys.  Souvenir trucks, KidsZone, meeting the drivers, the sound of the cars, staying at a hotel, and the list goes on of highlights.  

Before we went into the race my dad and I were talking as the boys ran ahead.  He looked at me and smiled, “Even if we don’t get to see the race, this was an incredible trip, thank you for bringing me; the race is just the icing on the cake.”  He was right.  What a time of memories with my 6 and 8 year old.  Ironically enough when we finally got into the race, before it even started, it started pouring.  2 hours later, after sitting under the bleachers,  the track was finally dry enough to start racing.  Then an hour later it let loose again pouring drenching rain on us.  I couldn’t help but think about my dad’s words before the race,  “even if we don’t see the race, still a great time.”  Absolutely.  

The destination, watching the race was without a doubt the icing on the cake as Eli stood against the railing, grinning ear to ear as the sound of the cars shook the whole track.  Silas wearing the headsets, listening into the driver’s radios was priceless.  As we left without getting to see the end we asked them what was there favorite part.  Eli replied with a, “Having fun with you guys” as he gave my dad and I a hug.  

I think I finally understand what my dad meant when he would teach us to gratefully embrace the journey.  All the moments from our weekend leading up to the race are as valuable to me now as the race itself was.  What if I had missed all those moments.  The swimming in the pool, the spending way to much money on souvenirs, the cold steak-umm, the counting trucks pass by.  What if I was so focused on the race itself that when it got rained out, how disappointed would I be.  I can’t help but think of all the things I would’ve missed.  

Think about life with me real quick.  How many people are living in such a way to just get to the end.  As a believer it can be easy to get caught up in what heaven will be like one day, the ultimate destination.  But don’t miss the journey.  Please I am begging you to open your eyes to how God is moving in your everyday life.  He is telling you to embrace the journey,  He is desiring to live, move, and breathe through you now, not just after your dead. You see John 10:10 is my dad’s favorite verse and in it Jesus says these words, “I have come that you may have life abundantly.”  I have to believe He is talking about this side of eternity also, not just the next. 

What is it in your life that you have been so focused on the future about that you are missing the journey?  Will you G.E.T. Jesus and embrace the journey today.  How different our world could look if we started to see God moving in our everyday instead of waiting until our day comes to see Him face to face.  

“Breathe”

Posted on by Fireproof

Last week we had a conundrum on our hands, a real pickle if you will.  With all the rain and being at camp, we had to come up with ways to get out of the trailer before we lost our minds.  One of the things we could still do was go fishing even if everything else around us was soaked, being at the dock became a treasured time.  So why was it a conundrum you may ask?  Here is a visual to give you an answer.  Picture with me 6 kids under 10 years old on a 12 by 12 dock. 

Hooks flying everywhere, the continual sound of them screaming “I lost my bait again” and the impatience they all had when every cast did not yield a fish.  (Bringing up memories of how when I was a kid I hooked my dad in his forearm as I went to cast. How many have experienced that before?)  Luckily my father in law Bob was smart enough to decide not to put a hook on the twins line.  They wanted to be there but at 3 years old we knew that was asking for trouble, so instead he tied one of their plastic toy fish to each of their lines.  So for them every time they threw it in, wala, a fish.  The only problem was that when they would bring it in and set it on the dock, everyone knew it was a a “dead fish” as the girls chose to call it.  Somehow Elliston managed to lose her fish in the water and we saw the bright green piece of plastic sinking to the bottom, “My fishy died, my fishy died.”  

On the other hand, when the boys would cast a fish in, no matter how big or small it was they would set it on the dock and it would be very much alive.  Flopping around everywhere, the kids running up to touch it but then watching then run away as the fish would move back and forth.  The first time it happened to Silas, he literally ran out of his shoes.  The amount of noise coming off our dock, no wonder our kids didn’t catch to many fish on our adventures.  Definitely something we still have to work on as Lindsey would continue to remind me, fishing is meant to be a relaxing, peaceful time.  I guess I can at least say it was a memory being made.  

As we left I started thinking about this idea of the “dead fish.”  No matter how much the girls would twist it around of pick it up and down, that fish was still dead.  There was no life to it, no breath, no movement, nothing.  Scripture is filled with references of God breathing life.  In the beginning God formed man out of dirt and breathed life into his nostrils.  In Ezekiel we read of God bringing dead bones to life.  In the Gospels we read of Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave.  Bringing what was dead to life.  

Looking around at today’s world, it has me thinking about how many people out there are like the dead plastic fish.  They look like a fish, but hey have never allowed God to breath “true life” into them.  They are manipulated and influenced by everything others say, or social media tells them they should be, just like the plastic fish being thrown around by the girls.  Zombies, walking around not realizing or understanding what God truly has for them.  A shell of what he designed and created you to be.  

God wants to bring you to life, to breath new life into you.  

To close out today I want to finish with these lyrics that we have all sung before,

“It’s your breath in our lungs.”  Do we believe that?  Or how about these ones from Lauren Daigle, “We call out to dry bones come alive.”  

We can all sing them at the top of our lungs in church but do we allow others around us to see that we have been brought to life by Jesus.  Are our lives showing that we are no longer that dead fish, but God has now put breath in our lungs.  Church, it’s time we COME ALIVE.  I hear it now the sound of “Dry bones rattling.”   

“He gave his son”

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JOHN 3:16, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”

A verse many of us know and probably memorized growing up.  Have you really ever thought of the depth of it though.  (Honestly, I hadn’t until Eli was born, and the depth continued to intensify with the brith of each of our 4 kids.)  It was just another verse in Scripture that I would recite during a service or someone would speak on and I would go, “yeah I’ve heard this message before.”

This year though is different, as I think upon Easter and look back at pictures of Eli sleeping in my arms these few words make me want to break down.   Looking at his face, recognizing his innocence makes me realize how much I have taken God’s love for granted.  It feels like a major slap in the face from God as I try and process what this verse really means for you and me.  (I am going to ask you to let your emotions run a little bit now and maybe even shed some tears.  Let God stir your heart.)

A new translation of this verse keeps coming to my mind, “For God so loves the world, that he sacrificed His one and only.  For God so loves Josh, for God so loves Eli, for God so loves you.”

Could I personally give up Eli if it meant saving others?  If it meant saving the world?  I would like to think I would give up my own life for those I cherish, but I can’t imagine sacrificing my child.

In our country we have men and women who will sign up for our military knowing the sacrifice that may be required of them.  To give up our own lives many of us would say we would do it without a doubt.  “God, I will sign MY name on the dotted line, but to give up my kids, you don’t know what you’re asking.”  Can you imagine God asking of us to give up our child’s life to save our city, our church, others, strangers even.

I am truly struggling with this thought right now.  I know I care for others, I even love others, but I can’t fathom the depth of love it would take to offer any of my kids up for others.  To willingly watch them suffer, to see the pain in their face,  to see their blood shed.  I don’t think, actually if I’m going to be blunt, I know I couldn’t do it.

12374871_1098178626889792_5569784334676026566_oI can only imagine Eli crying out, “Daddy, this hurts.  Daddy, Help.  Daddy, if there is any other way, please.”  Yet, God in his infinite love for you and me, allowed Jesus, His son, to go through this agony.

Now my mind is racing thinking upon this thought of God’s love, the wheels are spinning in my mind, the smoke is pouring out from my brain as I consider this.   My thoughts now turn from God’s love to how much Jesus himself loves you and me.  The love he must have had, that He would willingly lay down his own life, out of submission to His Father’s plan.

JOHN 15:13, “GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”

That he would be the perfect example of the verse he shared with his disciples. The reality hits that Jesus didn’t just talk about this type of love that he had for others.  He didn’t just offer up some kind words and say,  “do as I say, not as I do.”  He actually lived it.  When he talked about laying down His life, it didn’t just sound good, he actually did it.  When he talked about forgiveness, he followed through, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Jesus lived out what he taught.  He is the ultimate example.

I want to be the same way for my kids, I want to live out what I say.  I want to be an example of love.  I want to be an example of forgiveness.

This Easter take time and consider God’s love, Christ’s example, and what it means to you.  I know I personally will never celebrate Easter the same way again.

In closing there is a worship song out that we all have probably sung, “Oh how he loves us.”  Take a moment, think upon those words from the perspective of a DAD.

PLEASE PASS ON!

Grace Redefined…

August 4, 2017

I Prayed For This Child

March 27, 2017

In “Parenting and Faith, Easter”

Fearfully and Wonderfully made

April 14, 2017

In “Parenting and Faith, Easter”Tagged Children, Easter, faith, parenting

PUBLISHED BY FIREPROOF

I am the pastor at Crucified Church, but honestly and more importantly to me I am the husband to Lindsey and the father to Eli (8), Silas (6), and most recently our twin girls Elliston and Evans (3) . Without these 5 in my life, my ministry wouldn’t be where it is today and this blog would not exist.View all posts by Fireproof

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“I FORGOT”

Posted on by Fireproof

“Back up,” I say once again starting to raise my voice.  Honestly, next to I love you, those 2 words have to be the most quoted words in our home.  Our kids as soon as they turn the tv on are glued right up to it.  It is like a competition of who can be closest.  Followed by Lindsey going, “Eli, what am I about to say?”  With a shrug of the shoulders and the slow backwards walk he remarks, “I Forgot.”  No kidding this has to happen around 10 times a day with all 4 of our kids.  I can’t just pick on one of them for this story.  It is now at the point that we have downloaded an app onto our phones to act as a remote.  Without even saying a word after the third time telling them we just turn it off and take television away for a half hour.  Every so often we will get some  kickback which then turns into, “what are we going to have to do to make you remember” or “How many times must I tell you?”   To give you a glimpse into SIlas personality usually within 5 minutes will come over showing some remorse, looking up at me, saying, “I don’t know why, I just can’t remember Dad, I just forget.”  Maybe it isn’t TV that is an issue in your home, but how about brushing their teeth or feeding the pets. To all parents out there, you are not alone in having forgetful kids. The truth is even as adults we forget things way more than we’d like to admit.  

In writing this I have been completely convicted.  It is almost as if as I was writing God was showing me in real time how much I forget.  Linds gave me a list of 3 things to pick up at Walmart, even asking if I needed her to write it down.  Nope I think I got it babe, only 3 things.  Milk, Turkey Breast, toothpaste.  So here I am, start talking to someone of course, and totally forget the toothpaste.   After about 20 minutes of wandering and trying to remember I break down and call her, “Honey, what was it again?”  Then later that week we are at church listening to the announcements, thinking about certain things we should join in.  You think by the end of service I had any memory left of what it was, not a chance.  (Now get off my case, you know we all forget announcements at church).  See what I am saying though, we are all forgetful people.  

I bring all that up because I used to look at the story of the Israelites when God gave them the 10 commandments and wonder how they could be so dumb.  Literally these are the people who witnessed God part the Red Sea, send the plagues, provide quail and manna daily, lead them by a pillar of fire, and the list goes on.  Of all people you would think they would be grounded in their faith.  Now Moses comes off the mountain, declares the commandments, and they reply, “Whatever you say Lord we will do.”  Seems pretty straightforward until Moses goes back up the mountain.  How quickly the people forget, they couldn’t even remember command 1, “No other Gods before me.”  Instead they went to Aaron and asked him to create for them a god.  “WHAAAAAT?”  How quickly they forget!  

It becomes a theme throughout all of Scripture and humankind even to this day.  God moves, works, does miracles, answers prayers, and yet how quickly we forget.   When things aren’t going our way, we question if He is there.  When His answers aren’t coming fast enough to our prayers, we wonder if He hears us.  When we have a few rough days at work or look in the mirror too long we question if He still loves us, and I could go on and on.  

I would challenge you today, take a moment, and write down all that God has done for you.  Post it somewhere in your home as a reminder, like tying a string around your finger.  Remembering things, the ways that God has moved is something that is taught throughout the Bible.  In the Old Testament Joshua taught the people to set up monuments, David would write songs, while others would share them by word of mouth.  In the New Testament beyond those 3 things Jesus teaches us that in taking communion we are remembering His death, burial and resurrection leading to us having life.  Retrain your mind to remember and celebrate all that God has done for you and who He is in your life.  

“When your children ask you, ‘What are these stones to you?’ you’ll say, ‘The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.’”“

Joshua 4:6-7 MSG

“Remember this day.”  Exodus 13:3

”And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”“

Luke 22:19

“You Stink!”

Posted on by Fireproof

“When was the last time you changed your socks?” Should be a pretty straightforward question right. Apparently not to a 6 and 8 year old. Of all the battles we have in our home, and with 4 kids there are quite a few, changing socks has to rank near the top. You know we get the standard arguments over not wanting to go to bed, who has control of the remote, even what they want to eat. I get that, not everyone wants to eat peas, and would rather have pizza everyday. Am I right? Come on now though, a meltdown over changing socks. So we press the question a bit. Here is a glimpse of the conversation.

“When was the last time you changed them?” The hesitation begins and then, “Maybe 2-3 days ago, followed by the I think.”
“But you bathed since then.”
“Yeah what’s your point dad.” Eli replies glaring back at me.
“And you put the same socks back on?” Lindsey chimes in shaking her head.
This is now followed by the confused, “I’m sorry, but why do we have to change our socks everyday?”

I am now fighting back many sarcastic remarks going through my mind and all I can do is start to laugh as I bluntly say to them, “because you stink.”

Now I would love to get on their case a little bit more about this. The truth is though as adults we can stink at times too. There will be days Linds will come home from work, walk in the door, and as I go to give her a kiss, she stops me and says “something stinks.” We start searching the house, is it the dogs, is it wet shoes what is it? After a few moments of searching, we circle back and realize the smell is coming from me. “Did you shower today?” Now I am beyond the point in life where I get embarrassed to easily so i just start laughing and go, “I ran out of time this morning, but I did use body spray, doesn’t that count?”

You may be wondering how this all ties into anything spiritual but I promise you it does. God has actually been working on my heart all week about it, so it is one of those messages that speaks to me as much as it may to you. It all started a few weeks back when my dad spoke a message entitled “Stinking thinking.” For some reason, God will not let that out of my mind and expanded it from stinkin thinkin to stinkin livin.

In John 8, Jesus forgives the adulterous woman. At the end of the story he says to her, “neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more.” Many of us have memorized that story, we love that story, pointing out that their is forgiveness in Jesus. The downfall is that we skip the point where he tells us to repent, to change, to go and sin no more. Can you imagine with me the woman looking at Him and saying, “Thank you for forgiving me, but why do I have to change?” Not quite the story we read, yet somehow it is how many of us live. God calls us to change, to leave our life of sin, but instead we try to push the limit of what we can get away with. “Jesus, it is all I know, Jesus it is what everyone else is doing, Jesus, I’m not as bad as the next guy, why do I need to change?” I can picture Him then writing in the sand some more, “Because your sin stinks, I want to give you a pure heart, a clean heart, a changed life.”

Maybe a better analogy for you is the one of the body spray. Where we know we’ve been changed but we allow certain areas to just linger in our lives. We know it is still there but when it comes to others we try to hide it. We think if no one else knows, does it really count, does it really still stink? As long as no one knows I talked about them behind their back, cheated the system, or looked at certain things. I can just cover it up with some body spray to make myself smell better on the outside right. Jesus addresses that very bluntly also.

Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Talk about a stench. So how are we supposed to live then?

Ephesians 4: 22-23  “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Are you seeking God daily and allowing Him to convict you of areas that an odor to them? This is a lifelong process becoming like Him. It isn’t a snap of the fingers, wake up one day and everything is perfect. It is a daily surrender, allowing God to work in your life changing you from the inside out.

“JESUS, I BELIEVE IN YOU.”

Posted on by Fireproof

As I have shared previously, our family hot tub has turned into my prayer closet. Those moments of sitting out there at night once the kids have gone to sleep, have become invaluable. Even if it is just a couple minutes of silence from our world of chaos and noise. Recently that has changed a little bit though. With the temperatures changing and it getting colder out, all our kids have taken to it as their swimming pool. Now it seems a few nights a week, one of the girls will say as clear as can be, “hot tub, hot tub.” So who can turn down that family time right?

At first I was honestly frustrated, arguing with God, “but that is my time.” (Talk about being selfish). Honestly it turns into a comedy hour. Seriously, I encourage you now to picture yourself in this scene. All of us jammed into a 4 person inflatable hot tub, with not much room to spare. Eli trying to swim laps under everyone else’s legs, Silas acting like he is falling off the side to see how big of splash he can make. The twins learning to get their head under the water or to hold on the side while kicking their feet. Let’s just say a lot of laughter and joy takes places in these precious few moments.

Anyway, I share all that because last week I was explaining to them about it being my prayer closet; my moments to just sit and talk to Jesus. Silas then asked me if he could talk to Jesus like that. “Absolutely bud. What would you want to say to him?” His answer truly caught me off guard. “Dad, I think I would just say, Jesus I believe in you.” I really didn’t know how to respond. “Is that all you’d say or ask?” His eyes started looking around and you could tell his mind was searching, then simply, “yep, that’s all I’d say, I believe in you.”

So simple, yet so profound. What if our faith as adults was just that simple. Instead of overthinking or trying to explain everything. Instead of thinking we need magic words or long drawn out prayers. Just a simple, “Jesus, I believe in you.”

Moments like that make me truly grateful for little kids and their simple minds. I am learning to embrace the everyday conversations where God continues to teach me through my kids. Faith through the eyes of a child. Maybe that is what God will teach me more of in 2024, to have faith like a child, what about you?

“Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Matthew 18:3-4 NLT

LET ME TAKE IT FROM YOU

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Around 5:30 or so one morning, our horse of a dog started crying to go outside.

All I wanted to do was to go back to sleep, even for just 10 more minutes. That wasn’t happening. The crying continued, getting louder and louder.

I kept thinking to myself that the kids slept in, and now it’s the dog who’s awake.

“Alright, alright, I’m up,” I mumbled under my breath, frustrated.

I took the dog through the house, trudging along each step, hoping to climb back into our nice, warm bed.

That changed quickly. As I opened the door, still in a stupor, a bitter wind hit me square in the face.

No going back to bed from that.

“Well, I’m up now,” I thought, so I took my place on the couch, thinking God must have me awake for a reason.

The message was loud and clear.

Let me explain.

Within five minutes, I started hearing the pitter-patter of little feet as Elli came walking out to join me. Climbing up in my arms, she started hacking right in my face.

Sickness has been rampant in our home for about the last month, but that doesn’t change how bad I feel for her each time she coughs and the moisture fills her eyes.

“I know, baby. I wish I could take it from you,” I said. “I do. I would give anything to take this sickness away – to trade you places.”

To all parents, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The reality in the moment was that all I could do was hold her tight and comfort her.

As we laid there, God started speaking to my heart, expressing that that feeling is exactly how He feels for you and me.

It was like a voice speaking to me, saying, “For thousands of years, I wanted to take it from you, from all mankind. You see, Josh, that sickness is the sin that just continues to linger and keeps coming back, making you miserable.”

God can take the sickness from us, and it is exactly what He did in sending his Son to die on the cross.

God isn’t just sitting awake in Heaven, looking down, saying, “I know you’re miserable. I wish I could take it from you.” No!

He did something. He put those thoughts into action.

Our belief in Him sets us free from that eternal sickness and persistent misery.

In the spiritual realm, He did what I only wish I could do for my kids, taking away the “sickness” once and for all.

Will you let Him be your comfort today, taking away that sickness?

I needed those words that morning. I needed that comfort to know that my God, my Savior, is a God of action and love.

He does what we only wish we can.

“But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

“God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” – Galatians 4:4-5

“MORE THAN FISHING”

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“give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

This past summer, my father in law Bob taught our boys how to fish, well tried to.  The idea, the concept, the thrill of catching a fish they grasped.  The patience for it,  well let’s just say that is something we will keep working on.  It was something to watch and behold.  That first fish being hooked, reeled in with such excitement that Eli nearly dropped the rod and Silas was so giddy he literally ran out of his shoes and off the dock.  (Let’s just be honest and say it would have been way easier for Bob to do the fishing and the boys watch, but that’s not teaching, right)

Can you imagine being those first disciples and Jesus telling them that I will teach you to be fishers of men.  

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17

Have you ever thought about that conversation?  The confusion about what he was saying.  Like in a literal sense I picture Eli trying to bait a hook and throw it out there for Silas to take.  You can’t tell me that image doesn’t make you laugh.  

As I think about it though, I truly believe a piece of it that we miss is Jesus saying, “follow me and I will show you what is truly important in life, learning who I am and then sharing my love with others.”  First they had to learn who Jesus was, allow Him to transform them, and then out of that they couldn’t help but share with others.  It was something they learned for life.  It wasn’t just a “give a man a fish, it was teach a man to fish,” and in Christ, it is life changing.  “Give someone Jesus, and it may change their behavior in church or for a time.  Teach someone about Jesus, let them experience Him through your example, disciple them, and you will change a life.”  See what I am saying?  Making disciples takes time, takes investment, takes patience, but is so worth it.  Teaching our kids who Jesus is goes beyond just going to church each week, it’s investing in them through prayer, reading Scripture together, letting them see our lives.  Thank you pappy Bob for teaching our kids to “fish.”

When it comes to others,  are you looking for the quick change or the life long decision to follow Jesus.  God I pray now for what it means to disciple, not just behavior modification but true transformation in you.  

“I’m talking to you!”

Posted on by Fireproof

Recently a new trend has started in our home.  I would love to tell you it is a good thing, but honestly it is frustrating me to no end.  That trend has to do with the boy’s and when television is on.  They will ask Lindsey and I for something, let’s say chocolate milk for example or a snack.  I appreciative them asking and if we are able to we will oblige and get it for them.  Here is where the frustration comes in though.  “Eli, Silas, your milk is here on the counter.”  Blank stares at the television.  “Eli, Silas, your treat.”  Nothing.  Over and over, to the point I want to dump it out.  It has gotten to the point where one of us will walk over and have to turn the tv off for them to acknowledge, and then we get the, “Why did you turn off our show whine?”  

“Did you ask me for milk?”  Yes.  “Did I get it for you?”  Yes.  “Did you hear me say your name?”  Yes.  That is usually about when Silas will chime in, “but Dad my show was distracting me.”  Exactly my point Bud, that is why I turned it off, to get rid of the noise.

How many times though are we exactly that way with God?  Think about it.  We ask things of Him in prayer.  We go to Him seeking His voice to speak.  And I truly believe He does.  He provides.  Yet we are so distracted by the noise that even though we may hear His voice, it just becomes part of the background noise in our lives.  We allow other things to consume our thoughts, and some of them might literally be the tv, media, our phones that distract us.  He has our “glass of milk” sitting right there in front of us, but our minds have been shaped and conformed to the world that we don’t see what He is doing in our lives.  

Maybe today our prayer needs to be, “God please turn off the “TV” per se in our lives.  Clear the distractions.  Wipe out the noise.  Let me hear your voice Oh Lord and not be caught up by the things of this life.  

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2 NIV

Lord thank you in advance for hearing my cry, for answering my prayer, help me to see You move.