Make a Difference This Christmas....

I was home alone a few nights ago and found myself watching the classic Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  While sitting there enjoying the movie, I began reflecting on my own life and ministry, wondering if I was truly making a difference.  As I thought about this, I was reminded of the text found in 2 Corinthians 1, where Paul tells us that the comfort we find in Christ is the same comfort we can share with others.  When we face difficulties in life, we have a source that we can turn to because of our faith in Christ.  I have been able to share with many people experiences from my own life that have helped them through difficult times.  As a church, we are able to share with a community the experiences God has brought us through because of our faith and obedience to Christ.

During the Christmas season we need to be sensitive to those around us.  This is a time when people are often open to hearing the gospel message and willing to open their hearts to Christ.  Be willing to bring comfort to those who are hurting, lonely, or just looking for answers.  Invite them to a service or just spend some time with them sharing from your own life what Christ has done for you.  I’m glad that God has used me to make a difference and I know he is using you to make a difference. 

Take Time to Stop and Listen to the Voice of God...

I’ve been meditating on the verse found in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  These days our lives can become so busy just keeping up with our daily activities that we forget to stop and listen to the voice of God.  God is there every moment of every day waiting to give us guidance and encouragement if we are patient and listen.  Think about those things that matter most to you in life.  With me it begins with my relationship with God.  As important as that relationship is, some days I still wrestle with myself to be in tune with God.  We all have daily pressures that challenge our time of just listening.  On those days that I am challenged, I need to learn to shut out the busyness of life and get into a mode of worship, prayer, and listening.  As one of His sheep, I want to know His voice and follow.

The second most important thing in my life is my family.  I want my family to see that I’m a person who is sensitive to the voice of God.  I want to be the person who sets the standard that my children, my new granddaughter, and other family members will want to follow.  I want to set that example through my Sunday worship, my daily prayer life, and the choices I make on a daily basis.  Without knowing the voice of God, I will fail in every one of these areas.  Yes, I will put on a good front and at times live the way God would want me to live, but eventually my will... will surpass God’s will.  We all will fall into this trap if we don’t practice listening to God’s voice.

My encouragement for you this week is to start by spending some quality time with God. Find a place where no one can distract you from this time with your Maker.  Then, after some time in the Word and prayer, just be still and listen for God to speak to your heart.  Remember, the Bible teaches in 1 Kings 19:11-12 that God is found in a whisper.  I can’t hear someone who is whispering to me unless I am still and listening.

Thankful for the Miracle of a New Life...Our Granddaughter

When I first became a father, it never crossed my mind that I would one day become a grandfather - but just a few days ago it happened and I am a very proud, happy and blessed man. On Monday at 6:26 p.m., Tami and I became first-time grandparents (MiMi and PaPa) to Brynley Leann who weighed 8.14 lbs and was 20 1/2 inches long.  We are so proud of Krystal and Justin as we watched them over the last nine months preparing for this miracle.  And then, watching them at the hospital this week making decisions and parenting our grandchild - it's the most surreal moment I've had in my life. 

I've watched our two children, Krystal and Caleb, grow and mature into adults and no matter what happens in life, I will always love them more than they could ever know. Until, now - Krystal and Justin love Brynley more than she could ever know... and the legacy goes on and on. This Thanksgiving, our family has so much to be thankful for - we are blessed. Thank you God for my family!!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and that means Christmas is closely following. I like that fact that thanksgiving is not about buying presents or decorating trees and homes, etc., but it's about getting together with family and friends and doing what we all love—eating! And more importantly, it's about giving thanks.

Psalm 106:1 – "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

Hebrews 13:15 – "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name."

There Are No Shortcuts....

In late September, Tami and I were looking at our home and discussing the need to do a little remodeling.  We moved into our home several years ago, and except for painting a few rooms, we’ve really done nothing to update our décor.  We decided we would remove the wallpaper located in our kitchen and breakfast area, texture the walls, and paint.  Both of us agreed to the project but we also agreed that I’d do the work by myself.  The only disclaimer I added was that it would be done by early December. Later that week we had family members who couldn’t believe Tami would agree to this timeline.  In fact, there are probably some wives reading this and thinking, “Why would Tami agree to such a long period of time?”

As I think about my home project I find myself drawing comparisons to the spiritual journey that we’re all on.  Wouldn’t it be nice to come to church, accept Jesus as our Savior, and then be a fully mature believer at the same time?  Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works.  We accept Christ into our hearts and then begin a journey that will last the rest of our lives.  It’s a journey where some understand we’re not perfect but God is working on us daily, while others act amazed if we don’t display the characteristics of someone who has been saved for years.

The reason I needed so much time for the house is because there are many weekends when I’m obligated to other things and do not have time to work on the home project.  In October, I started removing the wallpaper, and it took several days to steam it off one piece at a time.  I can proudly say that last week I finished removing the last of the wallpaper, applied primer to avoid issues with glue residue left behind, and then textured the walls.  This week I applied a second coat of primer over the texture and now we are ready to paint.  My final goal, which was to be reached in early December, will most likely be done by the end of this week or early the next.  Please don’t tell Tami so I can brag how quick I am!  So now that you’ve heard the process, hopefully you can appreciate the disclaimer.  It’s not that I didn’t want it done in the first week, but I understood all the steps involved in the simple task of painting a room.  Those steps could not be done in a matter of minutes, and if I tried to shortcut or skip any steps, then the final result would have been a mess.

My spiritual growth is the same way.  There are many steps to this journey that need to take time to develop.  There are no shortcuts, and if I try to create them I can jeopardize what God has planned for me.  Remember in the Old Testament when King Saul was preparing to go to battle against the Philistines in I Samuel 13?  He was required to wait for Samuel, the prophet who was appointed by God to offer burnt offerings, to come and offer a burnt offering before Israel could go into battle.  Samuel was delayed, so King Saul decided he would do it himself, skipping a step established by God.  It was because of this disobedience and skipping the step that God had established that King Saul’s heirs would never rule Israel.  Decide today to do it God’s way.  The process may take longer to complete, but you’ll be stronger and blessed by God for your obedience.

Fishing Memories

Some of my fondest memories from growing up are of the summertime when I’d go to my cousin’s cottage in Michigan. Those were days filled with the fun of playing in the woods, swimming, and fishing. They lived on a lake, and we’d get into their rowboat and row all over it to fish. It was during those times of sitting on that lake fishing that we’d talk about life and the plans that God had for us. I will never forget those times of fishing and the fun I had because I was doing it with a special friend.

God did not intend for us to fish alone. We are called to be “fishers of men” but need to understand that we have the church there as a support. Jesus said in Matthew 16, “I will build my church.”  While in a church service, people will experience something that can’t be found in the world, and even though they may not understand it, they will be drawn to it. The “it” is the presence of Jesus in their lives. That is why the church offers a variety of things throughout the week for people.. These are opportunities for you to bring those you are sharing Christ with and praying they will accept Christ as their Savior.

We Need To Be A Voice That Speaks Boldly

Several years ago a famous movie came out that created quite a stir among those who love going to the beach. In this movie we discover the dangers of swimming in the ocean when there’s a hungry shark nearby. Yes, that famous movie was “Jaws,” which came out in 1975. To this day there are people affected by this movie who are afraid to get into the water because a great white shark may be lurking and that’ll be the end of them. What these people don’t realize is they are missing amazing fun and joy, because statistics show only 1 in every 11.5 million people is attacked by any shark and most of them survive. You are more likely to be killed by a dog, snake, or car collision with a deer. You’re also 30 times more likely to be killed by lightning and 3 times more likely to drown at the beach than die from a shark attack. 

As those statistics were going through my mind, I found myself reflecting on the message from Sunday. We looked at the importance of being bold in our efforts to be fishers of men. We have to understand that God is in control and is a sovereign God who understands what needs to be done. I love the prayer that we studied out of Acts 4:24-30. John and Peter’s prayer showed that they understood God was in control and everything that was happening was ordained by Him. But my favorite part of the prayer is what they said in verse 29: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”  That is what we need our prayer to be every day. Enable us to speak your word with great boldness! Yes, there are many fish in the sea of life who’d love to destroy us so our testimony is useless, but we cannot allow our fear to silence the message that Jesus came to save men from their sins. We need to be a voice that speaks boldly to a lost and hurting world.  

Family...

The greatest institution that God gave to mankind began in the Garden of Eden…Family.  Society tries to redefine what the family is; but, God has clearly defined the family and how the family is to function.  Last week was Father's Day and I'm still reflecting on the importance the husband/father role is in a family - it carries heavy responsibility but God has promised to equip us to fulfill the roles as long as we live by the instructions from His Word (this also applies to the wife/mother role in a family).

As a pastor, I understand the importance of a church that teaches each person how to fulfill their role in the family.  One last thought about family is...the importance of the church family.  For several years of our life, Tami and I lived in areas where our immediate families lived in other states.  During those years, we were confronted by many different situations in life.  Some of those situations were difficult and challenging and we were always thankful for our church family that was there to support, encourage, and pray with us.  I truly don’t know how we could have gone through many of those times had it not been for our other family....the church family.  

My encouragement for you today is... get involved in your local church, get to know people through small groups, social activities, lingering after service and building those relationships.  The time invested will be paid back at some point in your life... Tami and I are a testimony of that and believe it in.



A Spiritual Legacy

I’m excited about the opportunity to share with you thoughts about FAITH, FAMILY and FUTURE which energize, challenge and compel me in my daily walk with God:  I’m the man I am today because of my faith, my precious family and the future God has for me.

Faith is something that was instilled in me at an early age.  I grew up in a family that went to church every time the doors were open – I can confidently say we were a worshipping family. I owe this to my dad and mom who made sure their five children were in church every time the doors were open. I know this had to be a huge challenge as my dad worked two jobs and my mom solely took care of five children and also volunteered her time at the church whenever she could.  I want to thank my parents for instilling in me the importance of faith and the value of being with a community of believers. 

As I got a little older and started thinking for myself, I had to make my own personal decision to either follow the faith of my family or go off in my own direction.  I remember this specific Sunday like it was yesterday… it was a Sunday evening service and I was confronted with something that my spirit had never felt before. I couldn’t say what songs were sung that evening that could have stirred my heart or what sermon was preached that could have convicted me…but, something happened when the pastor opened the altars for people to come down and pray.  I was compelled to walk to the front of the church and kneel at the altar… as I did this, I immediately knew in my heart that I couldn’t depend on my “family’s faith” forever. I needed a personal relationship with God where my sins were forgiven and that could only happen through Jesus Christ.  At that moment my faith went from trusting in the traditions and spiritual legacy of my family to personally trusting in God. 

Because of the faithful intercession and prayers of my mom and dad through the years, their 5 children all know the Lord in a personal way.  Has our family’s faith been tested and tried over the years…yes! Has our family had hardship and sorrow through the years…yes!  But through all the “real life stuff” that ALL families go through at some time or another… there is a strong love and bond we all share together because of the spiritual legacy that was imparted to us. Thank you John and Jackie Bullard for helping me be the man I am today – I love you.

As the years go by, I often find myself confronted by situations that challenge my faith.  It’s during these times where the “real John” can come out.  I’ve learned down through the years that life is never going to be perfect…it’s what you do during those challenging times that really matter.

Many of you know that I love football - especially Notre Dame. When I lived in South Bend, I used to go to Notre Dame and listen to the motivational sessions that Lou Holtz had. One of his quotes that I love is:  “You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.”  I have applied this to my life over the years.  When a challenge enters my life, I can dwell on it and it can bring me down big time… but, I try and keep things in perspective and remind myself that the situation could be worse (in some instances) and look at all the positives in my life.  The key word here is “balance”.

When hardships or challenging times come along, the beautiful thing is – we have a source we can turn to who will help us not only face those situations, but will give strength to get through them as well. 

I love the old hymn that begins with, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”  Then when you get to the chorus is goes on to say, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand…all other ground is sinking sand.”   If you have time today, listen to this hymn which is a part of our heritage: 

May we always remember that Jesus is our solid rock, protector and foundation in which we stand in our faith and trust in Him.