Let’s see: I’ve been to pastor’s conferences. I’ve been to church growth conferences. I’ve been to youth pastor’s conferences. I’ve been to music concerts. Chances are good then, except for possibly the latter, you too have been to a puff-out-the-chest conference. By now I suspect you know what one is. It’s a group of pastor/youth leaders getting together and becoming blowhards. You know: “We’ve had x amount of additions this past year.” Not to be outdone another blowhard says, “We’ve had x amount of baptisms the past 6 months.” “Our attendance has doubled in the past year.” Blah. Blah. Blah. On and on it goes; where it stops nobody knows.  I was joking with the staff the other day. On the Day of Pentecost it says 3000 were added to the church that day. A few verses later it talks about a great multitude. “The 3000,” I said, “is the actual count. The great multitude is the preacher count.”

Sadly, many pastor/church leaders are blowhards. Been there done that. We get into a puff-out-the-chest game of one-upmanship. We act like “my dad can beat up your dad” kind of kids. 

Strange. I distinctly remember something being written about our leader who came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. That very same leader said, “Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” I wonder how long it will take us to realize riding on a donkey is better than a Roman steed and becoming like a child is better than an overblown adult?

Instead of puffing out the chest, we ought to be sucking air wilting in the presence of the King of kings, the real King, the One who showed us it was all about being a servant, not winning a game of “i can top you.” Blowhards need to come in contact with a pin cushion. 

A day of trickery and tomfoolery. A day of (mostly) innocent joking and trying to catch people making…well…a fool of themselves. But not so innocent when you read some Proverbs:

• “For simpletons turn away from me-to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” (1:32)
• “Wise people think before they act; fools don’t-and even brag about their foolishness.” (13:16)
• “Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.” (14:9) 
• “Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouth shut, they seem intelligent.” (17:28)
• “Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.” (23:9)
• “Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off ones’ feet or drinking poison!” “Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.” “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” (26:6,8, 11)
• “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold back.” (29:11)

Just to name a few. But the ultimate use of the word is found in Psalm 14:1-“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good.” 

Being a fool on a calendar day-April 1-is considered a joke, and in a way, is relished and expected by many. (I simply cannot imagine the teachers of young children on a day like today). But being a fool in real life life…that is not good. It is not a joke. It is not funny. It is not relying on a calendar date and thinking it will all go away the next day. Being a fool in real life is serious and must not be taken as a joke, but something to be alleviated, taken care of and avoided. 

BE WISE TODAY AND EVERY DAY!! 

{Note: All Scripture from New Living Translation}

That was the statement I made this past Sunday. A little background first. I was preaching about why Jesus died.  One reason was “for forgiveness of our sins.” I went on to say that Jesus did not say “If you do this I will forgive you.” Nor did He say, “If you give me this I will forgive you.” Neither should we. Forgiveness is not dependent on the other person’s response of acceptance or rejection. Forgiveness, by us, is granted based on God’s work in our life. 

When we forgive someone, we don’t expect a payment for what was done. If I wrong you or you wrong me, forgiveness is not offered with “Well, okay, if you pay me or do this for me.”  That is when I made the statement: That’s not forgiveness; it’s blackmail. 

True biblical forgiveness knows no ifs, ands, or buts. Forgiveness has no agenda. Forgiveness assumes grace. Forgiveness is not “getting even.” It is, in actuality, giving up the right to get even. Forgiveness has no agenda. Aren’t you glad Jesus did not say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing and don’t until they do”? Yikes! I know I would be in a world of hurt if that had been the case. I would never have been the recipient of the grace of God. 

No. We have been forgiven. Grace made sure of that. And that is what we need to offer others. Forgiveness, not blackmail. 

I suspect if we are honest, all of us live lives of contrast. What we say doesn’t match how we live. How we act belies our maturity (or lack thereof). What we say laughs at our so-called “maturity of age.” In fact, the way we talk often screams at our words of “I am a Christian.” 

As I was reading this morning I ran across some contrasts. I found them in Proverbs 12. I’m going to just give a few and would like to encourage you to read this chapter on your own and make your own notes and conclusions:

“The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.” (v.5)

“The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. (v.6)

“A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.” (v.8)

“Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.” (v.12)

“Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” (v. 15)

“A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.” (v.16)

“Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.” (v.19)

I’ve given you just a few of the contrasts and there are more. What struck me though was how we hear voices speaking to us and they are telling us the exact opposite of what we need to hear and should hear, i.e. the truth. Not necessarily truth with a capital “T” (Gods truth found in His Word), but truth with a small “t” (as in telling the truth). The voices we often hear are the ones that tell us “Do your own thing” or “Do what seems right” or “Do what feels right.” Voices that are skewed. Voices that are off-base. 

The only reliable voice to listen to is the voice of God found in His Word. Trust THAT voice.

I was gone last week but one of our elders, Tom Mangia, did a phenomenal job filling in. When I first asked him little did I know how much of a God-thing it would be. I was in Ohio for the weekend and our Youth Pastor, Ryan, welcomed his oldest daughter, Anna, back from a 4 month stint with YWAM in New Zealand and his son and daughter’s homeschool co-op prom.  Tom preached on The Sold-Out Savior (Judas and Peter) so I get to pick it back up with The Sin-Laden Savior this Sunday. I will be using various Scripture during the message as I talk about what we mean when we speak of The Passion of Christ. My biggest point will be giving 6 reasons for the death of Jesus (there are a whole lot more). 

I would love to welcome you to our services this week. We have them at 9:00 and 10:45. If you are unable to attend, we also do a live stream at those same times. You can access the live stream at YouTube (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship) or on our Facebook page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN). I would be honored if you would join us. Have a great Palm Sunday as you celebrate the final week of Jesus on earth. Your prayers would be appreciated. 

Here are some ideas I tossed around this morning. I realize the list is not complete (not by a long shot), but it is a start. 

• Progressive Christianity- True Christianity is too tied to biblical ideas and needs to progress toward more liberal thought (so they say).
• Legalism- whether tied to rules we have to live by or self-imposed rigidity, this can be a deal breaker. 
• Charlatans in the pulpit and the airwaves- what a mess these people make of the Gospel and peoples’ lives.
• False teaching- from the ridiculous to the ridiculous this is undermining so much of what is actually the truth.

Like I said, there are more I’m sure. But there may be one more devastating than any of those I listed. Here it is…are you ready for it? HYPOCRISY. 

That’s right. Hypocrisy. The word hypocrite comes from the word play acting.  Simply put: there are too many playing at Christianity. They are good about putting on airs, but their faith is fake. It is also a stumbling block to others. It should not escape us that Jesus’ harshest words were reserved for the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of His day. They were so zealous for their brand of faith, but they were so zealously wrong. They were sincere about their observance of the rituals and laws, but they were sincerely wrong. 

Hypocrisy is different from true faith/religion in one main area. They both can go through the motions. They both can do all things right in observance of sacraments or teachings. The Pharisees were good at doing, but Jesus said one thing that devastated their whole stance. THEIR HEART. Their heart was not in it. His words: “Their hearts are far from me.” I’m pretty sure we all have struggled with that in one or another. Doing something “just because.” Not necessarily because it is meaningful or will change a life, but maybe because “we have always done it before” or because it is expected. 

Hypocrisy is a total opposite from real biblical faith. It is as simple as “have to” versus “want to.” Do you struggle with doing things “just because?” Join the club. But maybe it is time we put a hammer to that clubhouse and to our tribe and get with the real program. 

I apologize if it seems like I am “one-tracked minded” these days. As we get closer to Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday, I have sincerely tried to focus not only what Christ has done for me (tired of taking it for granted) and what it means in my work as a pastor. Combine that with our worship in our new addition on Resurrection Sunday (that day only until we finish it) and my concern I wrote about in yesterday’s devotion, and you will see why I am going back to the subject of “Who I am” these days. 

In his book Pastoral Graces, retired pastor Lee Eclov writes:

Pastors, like all believers, are agents of grace. But we dispense the grace of Christ as no other believers do. We are shepherds….But when we are called, God gives us a miraculous instinct for the work. We commonly call it ‘a shepherd’s heart’… (p.12) Pastoral grace is a kind of superpower God gives us, and at first we don’t quite know what to do with it.” (p.13) {Note: I will say AMEN to that!}

It took me years to figure all this out. And I’m still learning. There are times I offer grace and do it very well. There are, sadly, times when I offer grace but do it grudgingly or at least with a bit of hesitancy. I am ashamed of that inability to just do it without judgment since I, myself, have been offered that more than I can count from God Himself. But I have learned this: the key is to never stop growing and never stop learning. I have this sneaking suspicion I will never truly arrive, never perfect it, and never “get it right” all the time. 

One more thought from Pastor Lee’s book:

Proclaiming grace always starts with the good news of redemption and resurrection. But grace has so much more to tell the redeemed. Gracious words, not always spoken aloud, cancel debts and bandage hearts. Gracious words open cell doors and tell people their long dark wait has turned into the Lord’s New Year’s Day. (p.28)

With all of my heart I want to be an agent of grace. Nothing more. Nothing less. So I say to those who know me: “Please be patient with me. God isn’t finished with me yet.” That is not a cop out. That is said sincerely. 

{Now for the prayer request: In 2016 I was hit by a car while riding my bike. Three months later I went over the handlebars and broke my collarbone, 3 ribs, and had road rash. All healed. But that summer I had surgery to remove a bone fragment sitting on a nerve. In 2022 I had back surgery to give my nerves room to move. All was fine until about 5-6 weeks ago when my lower back felt like someone punched me. After some wrangling, I had X-rays taken Monday and go to a neurosurgeon today to see what is up. Please pray for healing. If not, please pray for wisdom. I’ll keep you posted}.

You are not good enough for the cross, but the cross was good enough for you.  (Feels Like Home- Eclov-p.73)

In preparation for a series I plan to do in September and October, I am rereading Feels Like Home by retired pastor, Lee Eclov. Around 2 years ago I preached a similar series surrounding our 20th anniversary as a church fellowship. As we stand on the verge of moving into our new addition (still at least a few months down the road), and our 22nd anniversary to be celebrated in October, I have some concerns. I’m not concerned, frankly, about a doctrinal drift. We are pretty solid in our beliefs of those things which are essential. I’m not concerned about our worship becoming more of a production and concert. No light shows or spotlights here. My concern is, perhaps, more of a personal one. With the added space and expanded facility possibilities, my biggest concern is losing the closeness we have. To put it bluntly, to lose the “family” and “this feels like home” outlook. 

Hence, the emphasis this fall, and the reason for me rereading the book that sort of started it all for me over 2 years ago. My personality has always been more of a shepherd. Not a CEO. It deeply concerns me that with the new space, and hopefully new people who come because of the church’s ministry and “welcome home” approach, we will lose sight of what made us what we are today. Or maybe I should say WHO made us what we are today. I make no apologies for believing in and preaching GRACE a lot. That allows us to open our doors to all sorts of people. But just preaching grace is not a guarantee of success. People are messy and some just will not turn out like we had hoped. Their life will not be changed as we (or they) had desired. But that is no reason to stop preaching and talking about and offering grace. 

With God’s strength, I will never do that. I agree with what Gordon MacDonald once wrote:

The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace. (Feels Like Home-p.75)

As long as God gives me breath, I never want to stop talking about “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.” After all, “I am not good enough for the cross, but the cross was good enough for me.” 

From something as huge as “I didn’t see that coming,” to something as small as “I had planned a small sabbatical from writing but something changed that.”  I find myself this morning in the latter. Let me explain. This past weekend was supposed to include a trip to PA to celebrate my brother’s 50th year in the ministry. Then I was invited to an adoption of a young girl into her forever family. Today. Monday, March 23.  Zara will become Gwendolyn today (her name choice). This family has adopted two others recently and I have been able to be a part of that celebration. I couldn’t miss this one! This family has 3 biological children of their own and this will make 10 (currently) in their family of adoption and fostering. They have had others down through the years. Long story short, due to the amount of travel which would be required and long hours on the road on Sunday, I changed my plans. 50 years in the ministry is nothing to shake a stick at for sure. Mine went by quietly several years ago. 

Well…that’s an explanation I’m not sure you wanted to hear. But what I learned over the weekend in my reading is what I really want to share. My change of plans slowed me down some, enough to read the following and to “listen” to what was being said. From Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp I read the following (different passages are separated by dotted lines):

The story of Jesus guarantees how your story will end…In our smallness, we wonder if our lives will turn out the way we hoped and dreamed…No, you won’t get much of what you hoped for and probably few of your dreams. But…what you will get as God’s child is way better than anything you could’ve hoped for and incomparably better than your brightest dream…God doesn’t guarantee you’ll get your temporary dream; what he guarantees you is forever….In fact, because of the grace of Jesus, the end of your story is that it has no end!  {Pages 189-192}

This coming Sunday is traditionally called Palm Sunday. It begins the “wind down” to the final week of Jesus’ life on earth. That final week is one for the ages, culminating in His death and ultimate resurrection. All of it backs up what Tripp wrote about: the end of our story has no end. The resurrection proved that. 

I hadn’t planned on posting today, but after reading that this weekend, how could I not? Jesus Won. We Win. Does it get much better than that? I think not. 

A much-needed break. 

I was supposed to go to PA to celebrate my brother, Rob’s, 50 years in the ministry this weekend. However, his wife did not want us to come to the house until noon on Saturday so it would be a surprise. That seemed to be a little odd for my timing, but I could have made it work. 

BUT THEN! I got an invitation to take part in and witness the adoption of Zara, who has been a foster child of a couple in the church. Gavin and Jenna have 3 biological children of their own and began fostering (and adopting) before I met them. In fact, my first real exposure to their unique family was the dedication of one of their special needs foster children. Gigi was and is special. Since then, I have been able to witness 2 of the adoptions. Jenna invited me to Zara’s adoption (she will take the name Gwendolyn) on Monday morning at 9:30. This will make 10. I love my brother and celebrate his achievement, BUT this wins! Monday morning I will be at the adoption. The turnaround for the celebration and making it home for the adoption would have taken a superhero (which I am no longer one of).  

Why do I say all that? Well, one of our elders, Tom, had already agreed to preach for me, so I am taking Jo to Ohio so we can see Janna, Mike, Braden and Cameron. We didn’t think we would get to see Braden and Cameron since they are gone all week to a Young Life retreat, but Janna told us they would be home in time for a Saturday night meal. So we will be making our way to Ohio today and coming home Sunday afternoon. 

A change of plans for Zara/Gwendolyn and Gavin and Jenna is worth it! 

All that to say…I won’t be posting again until Monday or Tuesday. I would appreciate your prayers for a safe trip.