In life, there are absolutes. There are things that are true at all times, in all places, and for all people. For sure, there will be different ways that these truths are applied or manifest, but truth is true objectively. In other words, it accurately corresponds to reality. When it comes to what we're fueling our tanks with, that means that what we put in matters, regardless of our intentions. The wrong fuel equates with poor performance, impacts the overall health of our entire system, and can even determine if we're able to move at all or simply stranded on the side of the road.

The Bible outlines for us some important principles about what fuels us. There are benefits for proper fuel and dangers associated with improper. And while the wrong fuel hinders or damages, the right kind can propel us powerfully forward into the purpose, design, and joy that God offers and wants for each of us.

#RunningOnEmpty #Margin #EmptyRewards

If we’re honest, most of us struggle to know how to reasonably gauge our purpose & performance in life. The matrix we use is either so insanely complex that we never truly know how we're doing, so blatantly rudimentary that it's ineffective at best, or so wildly focused on the wrong metrics that we have no correct understanding of ourselves in this world. We end up chasing all sorts of activities and allegiances, never knowing if it's the right path for us or not, constantly trying something new or never changing from what we're already doing, whether good or bad.

So how DO we evaluate what we're supposed to be spending our fuel on? How do we determine what we say yes or no to in a world ever demanding our attention & resources? How do we create space on our plates when we're not sure what's supposed to be on them in the first place?

#RunningOnEmpty #Margin #EmptyRewards

One of the ways that many of us today describe ourselves is exhausted. We’re doing too much, too often. But life demands that, right? It’s just what it takes for us to exist in this fast-paced, busy world. If we don’t do it, who will? If I don’t make sure that I’m doing everything I can at every moment I can, things will fall apart, right?

Our world will answer “yes” to these questions, but God has a different design. God has ordered this world to be one that sees the greatest and the best taking place in the margins, in the space between our limits and our loads.

#RunningOnEmpty #Margin #EmptyLogic

“I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” We've all heard this phrase at one time or another. More often than not, it's someone's way of trying to tell you something you really don't want to hear by offering some kind of token nicety alongside of it. But what if the bad news is something we already do know and the good news is the resolution we're all looking for, even if we don't know it?

The Bible is not silent on the brokenness we all encounter (and perpetuate) in this world. But that is NOT its primary message. Instead, the whole of Scripture is focused on God's unwavering pursuit of remedying that brokenness on our behalf, for our good, and to the glory of His sacrificial love for us. While human religions have pushed humanity to earn redemption & the favor of the Divine, the beauty of the Gospel is that we only need to acknowledge our brokenness and receive God's gift of life, eternal-and-full.

#WhosYourOne #Disciple #GoodNewsBadNews #Gospel

Do you ever feel … not enough? Most of us have moments when we’re pretty confident about ourselves, and others when we’re not so sure. And if we’re really honest, most of us find ourselves in the latter category more than the former, even if we try to pretend otherwise.

And while the Bible clearly teaches against any kind of pride or arrogance for God’s people, it also tells us again and again about how much God esteems humanity as His beloved creation. Even more, God makes it clear that His plan for accomplishing His grand design inextricably requires humanity to participate - each and every one of us. There is no one unable, ungifted, or unworthy to play a role … and every role is absolutely indispensable.

#WhosYourOne #Disciple #MyPowerOfOne

We’re prone to think of “one” as small and insignificant. Who wants just one cookie? What is the value of only one dollar? What's the point of only watching one episode of a new series that stops on Netflix when you could watch ALL of them right now?

But the Bible consistently speaks of one: one pearl of great price, one lost sheep, one wayward son. Even more importantly, one Son of the living God and His incredible, singular sacrifice that opens the gates of heaven & eternal life.

As disciples of Jesus, we often overlook the value of one. One invitation to church, one message of hope, one neighbor, one coworker, one friend. When the looming shadow of sin & brokenness darkens the world around us, one seems so very small indeed. But there is a power to one that can shatter that dark, if we don't get in its way.

#WhosYourOne #Disciple #MissionFollowsValue

Perhaps you've heard the quote “Living ain't easy, but it sure is fun!” at some point in your life. While that can be true (and maybe often is for you), the fact remains that sometimes it simply isn't easy OR fun. Sometimes, life is just hard, unfair, or even cruel. And when times like that hit, we're faced with a choice: give up or push through.

Granted, it's much more complex than that binary, but that IS the baseline. And the decisions we make in those moments have everything to do with what we truly believe and in whom we truly believe. It's vitally important, then, to align our belief to real reality. What do we trust in, and in whom do we place our trust? It can literally be the difference between life & death.

#WhosYourOne #Disciple #MissionRequiresMotion

Most of us could easily name a person who’s impacted us in a positive way. In fact, most of us could name more than a handful. And when we think of them, we could list several characteristics that we might even want to replicate in our own lives. But how many of us would say that we’re that person’s follower or disciple? We might be fans of them, but are we truly following them?

The reality is that our lives (way more than our words) will demonstrate if we really are following someone or something - that is, if we’re really a disciple of them. But what if there was someone who was more than just a good example, more than just a successful person, more than just an individual with stuff we might like to emulate? Would we be willing to really, really follow them? Or would we end up as just a fan.

#WhosYourOne #Disciple #FanOrFollower

The beginning of every year brings a time of reflection - reflecting on what has been, what we’ve done, and what the future might hold. It’s also a time of resolutions for many of us. Unfortunately, studies have consistently shown that the vast majority of New Years’ resolutions are abandoned before the end of January. So what will make the difference for us, if we want to make changes this year? And, for those who have chosen to follow after Jesus, how will we decide what changes are most important for us to make in our faith journey with God?

#INTENTIONAL #NewYear #2024 #LivingInTheNewYear

The Christmas Season can impact us all in different ways. In fact, each of us individually experience this time in what can feel like After the present are opened, after the meals are served, after the parties are thrown, and after family visits wrap up ... what do we do with this whole "Christmas" thing we spent so must time, energy, and money investing into for the busy holiday season? Is it just this mishmash of traditions and festivities? Is it nothing more than another in a series of cultural experiences that we stress over, speed through, and clean up from?

For those who have truly connected with Jesus, it should be so very, very much more. For those who know the import of God-With-Us, for those who recognize this new reality that was inaugurated by the Christ child, for those of us who have chosen to follow after Jesus, it MUST be so very, very much more. And the latecomers to the Christmas story - the wisemen, the magi - give us a beautiful glimpse into what that MORE is really all about.

#SilentNights #SoundOfSilence #Advent #PEACE

The Christmas Season can impact us all in different ways. In fact, each of us individually experience this time in what can feel like contradictory ways - happiness, loss, nostalgia, pain, fear, excitement, worry, joy, isolation, and connectedness can all be felt by the same person at the same time. For as much as Christmas bears meaning & import on its own, we all bring our life stories, both the good AND the bad, into it.

And that first Christmas & those first participants were the same. Remarkably, the ones who most likely had the most reason to give into a fatalistic despair at that time provided the most beautiful response. A response not reasoned away or toned down with restraint, not tempered with a pressure to "just be realistic." A group of outcasts were the harbingers of the greatest news ever shared.

#SilentNights #SoundOfSilence #Advent #LOVE

One of the hardest things as child growing up in suburban America during the holidays can be waiting for Christmas morning. From the very first Christmas light, the very first Christmas song on the radio, the very first Christmas display in a store, every thought was bent on the glorious morning to come - the dawning of new toys and books and games and even underwear. When that morning finally arrived, you knew wonderful new things awaited.

We love to anticipate good things, even if the waiting seems unbearable at the time, because the promise of blessings to come is hardwired into us. We're literally designed to yearn for benevolence & joy. And we've learned that the waiting is worth it when the promise is delivered.

The Christmas story tells us of this expectant, joyful anticipation in two characters only mentioned for a few lines in the ancient text of the Bible. Two faithful, unassuming followers of God who experienced fulfillment of promises delivered - their waiting was worth it because of the reality it brought.

#SilentNights #SoundOfSilence #Advent #JOY

For those familiar with the Christmas story, two of the most universally recognized figures are Mary & Joseph, the unwed teen girl, who would become the mother of the Savior of the world, and her betrothed husband, who would raise a child not conceived by him in a world hostile to that notion. Like many Jewish people of their day, they had been bearing the silence of God for hundreds of years, waiting for His promises to come true. But now they had to bear the silence that followed personal promises unheard by a callous world that would have been more than skeptical of their claims. Most people would have dismissed their stories (at best) or derided & shamed them (at worst). How did they shoulder that injustice? How could they keep faith when doing so seemed unbearable?

#SilentNights #SoundOfSilence #Advent #FAITH

What do we do when we’ve been trying our best to do things right, yet our dreams are left unfulfilled? What do we do when it’s easier to start doubting the dream rather than hoping beyond hope? What if the silence in our lives really does threaten to silence our own joy and aspirations? The Christmas story begins with two devout people who wrestled with these very questions.

#SilentNights #SoundOfSilence #Advent #Hope

As we wrap up our series in the book of Haggai (focusing on our priorities) we also have the chance to engage in our latest Celebration Sunday, an opportunity to celebrate & worship God for all the good He’s done (and is doing!) in our lives.

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Why do we do what we do? Often, it seems that we might just be going through the motions. Other times, it's like we're operating on autopilot. Perhaps we've gotten a glimpse of a future we want to see happen or even find ourselves motivated by more base instincts, like getting ahead or just taking care of our own selfish needs.

The best option, though, is that we have discovered a great value, a compelling REASON. Have you?

Because, if we do discover this, if we are compelled by this, then our priorities begin to align with the good and the right and we are able to out the fully human, fully joyful life God has planned for us.

#Priorities #FutureGlory #Celebrate #CelebrationSunday

There really are many demands on our time, on our resources, and on our loyalties. And even if we've come to place to understand what is most important, what our priorities should truly be, it's easy to find ourselves falling short of those ideals.

So often we're told (or we say to ourselves), "At least the heart was in the right place!"

But does that trump what we're doing? In reality, it is direction, rather than intention, that determines our destination. While it is important to make sure our intentions & motivations are correct, it is ultimately our behavior towards that goal that makes the difference between living our our priorities rather than merely affirming them.

#Priorities #FacingOurFaults #DirectionNotIntention #HisKingdom

The older we get, the more we remember - and forget! But the truth is, we are often those who allow our nostalgia or other memories to affect how we operate today. While history & experience are wonderful counselors, they tend to be awful leaders. They can keep us looking backward, when God so very, very much wants us looking forward. It takes discipline & humility to let go of comparing what we have now to what once was. And the stark reality is that very often our memories of days gone by are colored by the very nostalgia that brings them to mind. In fact, there are a host of reels and memes on the the internet right now where Gen X'ers are replaying the lyrics from songs of "the good ol' days" in the 80's & 90's, only to discover that they are riddled with as much sketchy & unhealthy content as the contemporary music they lament.

Jesus calls us forward into His kingdom, and that direction will always be vastly more important than they memory of what has once been.

#Priorities #ForwardNotBackward #HisDirection #HisKingdom

One of the facts of modern day life in America is that most (if not all) of us are quite busy. In fact, author Molly Teuke recently noted, "A 2018 Pew Research survey revealed that 6 in 10 adults in the US feel too busy to enjoy life, and in 2023, 60% of some 2,000 Americans believed there are not enough hours in the day to complete their to-do list. That means more than half of Americans never feel like they have enough time in the day to complete their to-do list."

Sadly, this cultural phenomenon is not avoided by Jesus-followers. Stats for casual church attenders, committed members, paid staff, and everyone in between are just as bleak - and sometimes worse! It affects our work, our play, our health, our sanity, and our faith. It's a real problem!

But the most tragic reality is that (because of this busyness and other schedule-related factors) those who claim to follow Jesus are often quick to offer the disciplines of their faith and their connection to Jesus' family & His mission as first-to-be sacrificed. Unfortunately, the demands on our time and focus are not likely to spontaneously self-resolve … so what are we supposed to do?

#Priorities #FirstThingsFirst #HisPresence #HisKingdom