Fall Creek Christian Church

"The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.  Nahum 1:7 "He's stuck!!" shouted one of the guys. Our little afternoon spelunking adventure had just taken an unwanted turn. One of our guys had gotten wedged between two rock outcroppings. All the pushing and pulling we could muster failed to liberate him. Fear and even panic began to creep into our bones. Nudged by the Holy Spirit to pray, we cried to God who mercifully directed us to a different ledge that provided just the leverage we needed to get him out.  Nahum lived among a beaten down and discouraged group of people. The Assyrians, specifically those in the powerful city of Nineveh, had traumatized and brutalized the people of Israel over and over again. No end was in sight. Nahum came to tell them that the oppression they lived under was coming to an end. God told them, "I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck and tear off the chains of oppression.&qu

"That is why the Lord says, 'Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. he is eager to relent and not punish." Joel 2:12-13  "Road Closed - Local Traffic Only," said the sign. I looked down the road and I didn't see any construction barrels or cones. No trucks. Nothing. I'm not a huge fan of detours, so I kept plowing ahead. After a few miles, I was feeling really great about my decision to stay the course. Past one more neighborhood then one more turn ... "Yikes!" Bridge out, trucks, construction workers, barrels ... A necessary u-turn back to the right track.    The prophet Joel, consistent with God's other prophets, was a straight shooter. The people of Israel were headed the wro

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." I John 3:18-20  Even before we were able to say it, "Mine!" was a passionate part of our lives. My kids growing up were quick to inform others whose toy that belonged to, whose clothes those were the other one was wearing or whose room we were standing in. Sometimes, it fell on me to bring the whining to an end by simply removing the item of contention and saying, "Mine." In his letter Jesus' best friend, John, was concerned about ownership as well. It wasn't the owning of things he had in view, but rather who had ownership of us. Who do we belong to? This Apostle of Jesus refused to make his message gray. He proclaimed we belong to one of two individuals, Jesus or the devil. He then added that the ownership of Jesus is revealed by a li

"You made me; you created me. Now, give me the sense to follow your commands."  Psalms 119:73  "This is so easy," I said to myself as I loosened the car's headlight. After messing with it for a few minutes, the tube exploded in my hands. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt, but it did alert me to the fact that the bulb I broke was the high beam not the burned out low beam. "Amazingly," when I went online to learn how the lights were positioned on the car by the ones who made the car, I was able to replace it. The Psalmist, in our verse for the day, answers some important questions. Who made us? God did. Who created us? Yep, still God. So, if we were interested in any way as to how life was supposed to work, who would have the inside track? And, once again, the answer is God himself. Graciously, he has provided instructions for us to follow. The only missing piece is the sense to do that. Good news! God will also provide that to any who will ask. Decis

"My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? ... Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law."  James 2:1-9 Many years ago, I was in Mississippi with a group of teens on a service trip working with an African American pastor friend of mine in his community. One day, I went with him into the local hardware store for supplies. I was immediately taken aback as the employees working there attempted to talk past him to talk to me. I hadn't felt prejudice before. It was ugly. I watched amazed as my friend graciously redirected their conversation to him.  Jesus' brother James was a straight shooter. He knew the implications of what his brother had said about loving one's neighbor. He was witnessing too man

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."  Hebrews 10:23-25  It was and still is an exciting time when our family enters into a group decision. Everyone really knows what they'd like to do or where they'd like to go, but no one wants to come off as "it's all about me." It's fun to watch the back and forth, the "decision dance" if you will. Eventually, the multitude of options shrink until there is the agreed upon, "Let us ... ." I'm just thankful to be included in the us! After marveling at the wonder of the person of Jesus, his role, his identity and his work, the author identifies a few accompanying "Let us" action step

"Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed."  Hebrews 7:16  Standing at the base of Niagara Falls was absolutely awe inspiring. I'm sure we looked like ants to the people above. The water thundered as it crashed onto the rocks and into the river. Upon boarding the boat that ventured to the other set of the falls, we were quickly overwhelmed by the sound and the splashing water that gave the illusion of being caught in a serious thunderstorm. It was simply raw power. The writer of Hebrews was marveling at power as well. It wasn't the power of nature nor was it a power generated by the work of any human hands. It was the power of the impossible. The something from nothing power that God alone possesses. Jesus' body succumbed to death but Jesus did not. It could not hold him. His life was indestructible. This power uniquely positions him to bridge the di

"Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops." Proverbs 26:20 Our family loves campfires. As the sun sets and the air cools, the fire pit quickly becomes the place of focus. A few sticks. A few pieces kindling. A click of the lighter and we're off to the races. Stories get told. Laughter breaks out from faces glowing orange from the warm dancing flames. We'll sit there for hours on end, until the wood runs out. When that happens, the fire quickly fades and the cool air chases us to the fireplace inside.  Solomon, who authored the book of Proverbs, undoubtedly had experienced his share of campfires as well. He observed that quarrels fade out just like a fire will without wood. Quarrels require fuel to continue. He mentions the primary one by name -- gossip. Passing negative information around about others is sure to stir the pot. Remove it and peace has a chance. The ability to keep information about others in confidence or to sim

"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because it was his plan from before the beginning of time -- to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News." II Timothy 1:9-10 Pick up football games have been a part of my life since my childhood. All that was needed was a handful of kids, a piece of grass, and a football. Most plays were, "You, go long. You, go short." Then we'd call "Shotgun!" then "Hike!" and then the "Mississippi(s)" would start. I noticed that when the games were close, the play planning took a little longer. With bragging rights on the line, it was no time to be caught without a good game plan. Paul spent tremendous amounts of time and energy sharing, reflecting upon, and

"'Am I a God who is only close at hand?' says the Lord. 'No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?' says the Lord." Jeremiah 23:23-24 Several years ago, while on a river hike, we found a rock formation that looked just like a deep hot tub in the middle of the river. While in it, I took a deep breath and went down looking at the river forged walls. In the quietness of that moment, it hit me. God is here. He knows every crack and crevice. As a matter of fact, he knows what's going on under the water in every river on the planet! I came up for air...mind blown.  David reflected on this same reality in Psalm 139. The everywhere-present God. Jeremiah recorded God saying it himself. I'm everywhere. In the heavens? Yes. ALL the heavens? Yes. Everywhere in ALL the earth? Yes. The center of the sun? The unseen spiritual world? The deepest dark of space? Yes. Yes. An

"O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord. Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth." Isaiah 62:6-7 Whenever our family goes on vacation, I look forward to what I call the "sweet middle." At the beginning of the week, my emotional, mental, physical RPMs are still pretty high. They begin to dial down in the change of scenery and schedule. Eventually, I enter this moment where unconsciously the switch is actually turned off - the sweet middle. Rest. This moment lasts a few days until I think of our return and what's waiting for me when we do.  God is a huge fan of rest. It actually made his Top 10, "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." No work. No planning. Just rest. It's fascinating to consider Isaiah's call to "take no rest". He then put an exclamation point on it, &qu

"For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also the privilege of suffering for him." Philippians 1:29 Several years ago, I was invited by a friend to a very exclusive luncheon. It was put on by one of the big universities as a "Thank you" to individuals and businesses that had made significant donations to the school. The guests of honor and speakers were the varsity basketball coaches of both the women's and men's teams. It wasn't until the coach came in and sat down next to me that I realized we were at the head table! What a privilege.    Privilege was also on Paul's mind when he wrote his friends who made up the church at a city called Philippi. Paul was nearly martyred there as he boldly laid his life on the line so they could hear how to be saved. "Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved," he told them. And they did. Privilege, he told them, is both receiving salvation from

"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) ... God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:4-10 I sat in the meeting helplessly distracted. My attempt to keep my notes brief resulted in an abbreviation that I simply could not recall. It wasn't a terribly significant conversation point, but the forgetting was beyond irksome. I did my best to move on and engage with the conversation only to shout out an hour or so later, "I remember what it was!" Oops. Graciously, they allowed me to share

"Oh what a day of crushing defeat! ... Judah's defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons. You inspect the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. ... But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago." Isaiah 22:5-11 Too many times I've sat across the table from my sweetheart in silence. We've walked passed one another speaking only perfunctory comments. We've lay in bed in the darkness wide awake with a thick tension between us. Who will be the first to apologize? Who will be willing to at least own their part of the ugly? Stubbornness is a relational jackhammer that attacks the sacred bonds of marriage and all other relationships for that matter. Over and over again in the Bible, as in our scripture for today, God confronts stubbornness. Specifically, his people's stubbornness as it related to his instruction and will for them. They t

"Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind." Isaiah 7:2 It's one thing to look at pictures and video, but it's something quite different to see it in person. The power of tornadoes and hurricanes is equal parts awesome and terrifying. On a single street, one house leveled, another completely unscathed. Massive trees twisted like pretzels, stripped of their branches, leaves and even bark, drooping defeated in the face of the wind's power. When the trees begin to be shaken, it's time to take cover. Isaiah uses the powerful picture of trees being shaken to describe the depth of the fear that had gripped King Ahaz as his enemies amassed against him to destroy his nation. God sent Isaiah to let him know that this combined enemy army will not touch him. His violent shaking with fear was unnecessary. Why? Simply, God sa

"But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless--like chasing after the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere." Ecclesiastes 2:11 So, this crazy light on the back door of our minivan kept popping out every time we closed the door. The pieces that lock it into place had tired. No amount of coaxing could get it to stay. "Fine," I said to myself. "I'll fix it." I set out on a lengthy engineering plan that required pieces from some junk in the garage, electrical tape, and precision placement. One door shut later, the whole thing came hopelessly apart. Ugh! What a waste of my time. Solomon thought about wasted time more than anyone else. He pondered extensively all of life's activities, both the challenges and pleasures that it contains. His conclusion was rather dismal ... "Meaningless!" The stuff of earth had no ability to satisfy his restless soul. At the end of his disappointing

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." II Corinthians 1:3-4 As we finished loading up the two older gentlemen, we made our way to the restaurant for lunch. Both men had been married for over 65 years. A year or so earlier, one of the men held his sweetheart's hand as she went home to heaven. Recently, the other gentlemen had to bid his farewell to the beautiful joy of his life as well. They spoke knowingly to each other recognizing their own emotions in the eyes of the other. It was a holy moment. Troubles come in all shapes and sizes. Jesus said that's the way it would it be. He also told us that he'd be there with us in the middle of each and every one. As Paul writes this letter, he reveals that God's comfort will accomp

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper--it only leads to harm." Psalm 37:3-8  I stood at the tank mesmerized. The aquarium's display of jellyfish from around the world, illuminated with colored lights, absolutely captivated me. Living creatures suspended in the water weightless. Their movements, so graceful and effortless, were truly hypnotic. Everyone who walked into the room immediately grew still. My imagination sprung to life and the whirl of racing tho

"I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best with as few distractions as possible." I Corinthians 7:35  As the day unfolded, my wife and my's carefully crafted plan began to unravel. We underestimated the time it would take to finish the first project on our to-do list. We were then intercepted on the way to the next by an urgent situation that we couldn't foresee and couldn't ignore. In our enthusiasm, we added one at the end of the day that wasn't on the list only to realize halfway through, we had missed a previously scheduled engagement. Ugh! Paul was acutely aware of our tendency to get distracted when he wrote this verse to the Corinthian church. He had just finished providing some strong coaching related to relationships and then told them the reason - "to do whatever will help you serve the Lord with as few distractions as possible." Paul was laser

 "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'" Psalm 27:8 When I picked up my ringing phone, I saw my daughter's name on the caller ID. Most of our communication these days is through texts so I answered right away concerned something was amiss. It turned out my daddy senses were accurate. Big pothole, flat tire. After driving the 40 minutes to where she was and putting on the spare, I headed home feeling quite heroic. Nearly home, my phone rang again. Same daughter, even bigger pothole. In our verse for the day, the Psalmist is reflecting upon a call in his life. No phone was ringing. No loudspeaker was calling his name. It was a special word delivered straight to his heart. Specifically, it was a word of invitation. The Inviter? God Himself. The invitation? To talk. So, what do you do when God calls straight to your heart for a chat? The Psalmist didn't puzzle over the question very long at al

"But when he (King Uzziah) had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord's Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. ... They (the priests) confronted King Uzziah, '... Get out of the sanctuary for you have sinned. ... .' ... leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead." II Chronicles 26:16-21 Over and over again the headlines buzz with fundamentally the same message ... "Another One Bites The Dust." Affairs. Abuse. Lies. Illicit Drugs. Embezzlement. Numerous men and women of social, religious or political standing have found themselves looking into the cameras for all the wrong reasons. When having it all leaves one assuming they deserve all and are above all, the proverbial wheels begin to loosen. King Uzziah was God's man. He faithfully pursued the Lord for guidance. God said. Uzziah did. He obeyed his commands. He cried out

"I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3 As the young woman entered the hospital room in her white lab coat, we just looked at her quizzically. The same questions were bouncing around in all our heads. Who are you? What are you doing here? Clearly the looks on our faces communicated the same questions. She quickly introduced herself and let us know she was Dr. So-and-so's physician assistant. After that, we freely asked her questions appropriate to her identity.   In Psalm 18, David couldn't stop himself from reciting everything he knew God to be. My Strength. My Rock. My Fortress. My Savior. My God. My Protector. My Shield. My Strength. My Stronghold. Whoa! Given this reality of who God is, David responded

I Am The One "David looked up and saw the Angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. And David said to God, 'I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep--what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.'" I Chronicles 21:16-17 I had my suspicions, but I couldn't prove it. Our youth group's honor system snack bar money kept coming up short. I had hoped that conscience would win the day, but sadly, it didn't. Finally, I caught the person and confronted him. He kept denying it like the child with the cookie still in his mouth as he tells his dad he didn't eat it. Instead of acknowledging that he was the one stealing and asking forgiveness, he just le

"They waged war against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, Naphishites, and the Nodabites. They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. I Chronicles 5:19-20 Things weren't looking good. The semester was coming to an end and I was on the verge of seeing my first ever failing grade after never even seeing a "C" before. My mind and this course had a complete and total disconnect. Hours of study and practice problems proved pointless. There was only one thing left to do ... "Help!" I prayed relentlessly and started meeting with a super smart kid in my class. By God's grace, I narrowly passed.  The people of Israel had amazing moments where they were in step with God. This passage records one of those moments.Tucked in the midst of the record of genealogies, we find this solid gold scene of life with God in summary form. Instruction. Obedience. Res

"The officer assisting the king said to the man of God,'That couldn't happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!' But Elijah replied,'You will see it happen, but you won't be able to eat any of it!'" II Kings 7:2 "You'll never be able to do that even if you tried all day." Those words, in my younger years, would almost always elicit the "You wanna bet!" response from me. This moment was no different. A front flip off a long rope swing, starting from a high platform into a lake. No problem! I was going to do it even if it killed me, which it nearly did. After several painful near misses, I pulled it off much to everyone's surprise including mine. Our verse for the day is from a scene of a city in crisis. Under siege, they were slowly starving. The king of Israel was inattentive  to the word of God. His nation suffered as a result. As a powerful expression of grace, God's prophet Elisha was there to br

"But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed earnestly for him. ... So Peter left the cell, following the angel. ... " Acts 12:1-19 It was truly a crossroad moment in my life. Business or ministry? Graduation left me no more time to ponder. My conversations with God were intense, long and passionate. What Lord? Where Lord? When Lord? My heart's tuner was dialed in. One day as I walked through the business school hallway, I stood in the intersection of two hallways. Time stood still. My heart reverberated with the Lord's words, "You don't belong here." Peter's jail cell was secure. Four groups of guards were on duty. They were, however, no match for the group that was crying out to God on his behalf. An angel showed up. Chains fell off. Guards stayed asleep. Locked doors were opened. Peter went to his more than surprised prayer support team. Shortly after this event, the king who put him in prison came under God's judgment. Why

"So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father David. For the Lord told him, 'Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.' ... When Hiram received Solomon's message, he was very pleased and said, 'Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.' ... So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace." I Kings 5:5,7,12 Recently, I had a day where on three occasions I stopped to reconsider doing what I had told others that I would do that day. The activities I had planned grew to be what felt like big distractions to that which was now the pressing need. Over and over and over again the words of Jesus ran through my mind. Specifically, "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'." I had to keep tellin

"And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. 'How can this be?' they exclaimed. 'These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our native languages!' ... They stood there amazed and perplexed. 'What can this mean?' they asked each other." Acts 2:4-12 On a handful occasions now, I've found myself in a country where I was completely unable to speak their language. As one who so enjoys hearing other peoples' stories, I found it supremely frustrating. I was suffering from verbal claustrophobia. I started praying begging God for the ability to speak their language, but he chose not to give it t

"All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him." II Samuel 14:14 My lack of a sense of direction has led me to countless places I didn't intend to be. Lost is one of life's truly negative feelings. On one misadventure, before the onset of GPS, I circled through the same city three times even after stopping to ask for directions twice. It was like being stuck on repeat and I couldn't find the stop button. Finally, someone else got directions and navigated us safely to our desired destination.   This verse taken from David's sad story with his son Absalom reveals a staggering truth about God. He's a way maker. Our lives, for reasons known only to him, matter to him. He doesn't shrug his shoulders and say, "O well", when it comes to our daily journey

"Then Mary took a twelve ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 'That perfume was worth a year's wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.' Not that he cared for the poor -- he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, he often stole some for himself." John 12:3-6 I vividly remember the first time I put on glasses. The detail. The clarity. It was truly a moment. Green and brown blurs were now trees with individual leaves. Signs were no longer red and white or yellow and black splotches. They were stop signs and yield signs. Vision is such an amazing part of our physical creation. Sadly, it can fade or even be lost. Visits to vision professionals help us keep our eyesight sharper and for as long as possible. Ou

"They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!' Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman." John 8:7-9 Our world reminds us everyday that it is so much easier to write "offensive" people off than it is to take time to understand them and treat them with grace. I talk with people all the time who are convinced stones will fly if they are honest about their past or current struggles. I need to find a big empty bag for my office just to let them know I don't have any stones to throw. I am in no position to be anyone else's judge. A woman caught in adultery was dragged before Jesus. She was humiliated, brought in front of the crowd facing the very real possibility of death by rocks. What would Jesu

"'The Lord bless you, my daughter!' Boaz exclaimed. 'You are showing more family loyalty now than ever by not running after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don't worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are an honorable woman.'" Ruth 3:10-11 Growing up, I spent a great deal of time during the summers at a Christian camp in Wisconsin. The camp director quickly became one of my heroes. He loved the Lord. He loved people. This was evident in his passion to see the two come together. He made no effort to draw attention to himself or prove his was a noble character. He just sought the Lord and did what he told him to do and his reputation took care of itself. Ruth and Boaz were just such people. Noble and unpretentious. Neither one was forced to extend themselves for others. They just did. No one would have had a second thought if they would have simply done what everyone else would have do

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 There are way too many human train wrecks at the intersection of stupid and opportunity. I've crawled away from many of them myself. For example, BB gun wars where I just about got my eye shot out. Arguing while driving nearly ending the lives of my family and others in a two car, narrow highway crash. Countless negative words, moral lapses, impulsive financial decisions ... I'm pretty sure you're familiar with the list. The author of the book of Proverbs, King Solomon, was too. He was a strong starter, but later in life veered off track in directions he knew full well were no-go zones. His failures set-up the splintering of his kingdom and the slippery slide into national moral decay. He was described as the wisest man who ever lived. Even still, he fell victim to the foolishness he so eloquently and accurately described years earlier.  Our world is inundate

"But if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, then choose this day whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 Nearly 31 years ago, I stood before God, family and friends and made a choice as did my sweetheart. "To love and to cherish as long as we both shall live." Honestly, there have been too many days where one or both of us didn't feel particularly loved or cherished. What's the deal? We chose that day so what's going on with this day? Perhaps there is a much tighter connection between that day and this day than we could have ever imagined. When Joshua called the people of Israel to decision, he emphasized today, this day. Yesterday was over. Tomorrow was not promised. "Choose this day", he said. He was calling them to a decision about whom they would follo

"As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' He looked at them and said, 'Go show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, their leprosy disappeared. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, 'Praise God, I'm healed!' He fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, 'Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?'" Luke 17:12-17 Raising kids has been and will always be a difficult and hopefully a wonderfully rewarding experiencing. The tension of both meeting their needs and training them to be grateful is such a fine line to walk. We don't want them living longing for love nor do we want them living with an entitled attitude. One of the tools that helped us when our kids were little was a kids song entitled, "'Please' and 'Thank you&#

"Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready." Luke 12:35-38 I remember very vividly as a kid racing to the lakefront with my dad early in the morning to catch a ride in a boat with some guys who had invited us to go fishing with them. We got up, scrambled around to get our fishing tackle together and raced down to the lake as we were cutting it pretty close. As we hurried down the path popping out near the shoreline, we could see the boat halfway across the lake motoring to THE secret fishing hole. U

"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." Psalm 73:25-26 I love a big ol' burger and fries. Hmm  ... so good. It just my be my favorite meal. Well, a big juicy steak might just edge it out when push comes to shove. Then, there's pizza. I can't get enough pizza. Yikes, I can't forget seafood. Grilled jumbo shrimp, lobster, crab legs, fresh fish. Appetizers of crab stuffed mushrooms covered in cheese. Okay, I give up. It's too hard for me to find that more than anything food.  Asaph, the author of the psalm from which our verses of the day come, was in some real turmoil in regards to his favorite as well. Not his stomach's favorite, but his heart's favorite. He was angry and frustrated that people who didn't care about God at all had everything this world could offer and he didn't. His visio

"And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving giving." Deuteronomy 4:1-2 We tend to chaff at instruction. Rules and regulations are not things we typically get excited about. As parents, we've given many instructions to our children over the years. For the most part they understood the "why" and were even willing to trust us, albeit begrudgingly, when they didn't. There were times, however, where minor things like "Wear a coat" or "Put on sunscreen" were ignored and they experienced the subsequent consequences. Other times, like all of us, they ignored some seriously significant instruction and tasted the bitterness of regret.  In M

"Then Moses spoke again to Korah: 'Now listen, you Levites! Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the people of Israel to be near him as you serve in the Lord's Tabernacle and to stand before the people to minister to them? He has given this special ministry only to you and your fellow Levites, but now you are demanding the priesthood as well!" Numbers 16:8-10 "...the ambition of treacherous people traps them." Proverbs 11:6 Growing up, our kids had what we called the "Whiner's Timeout Chair." It was located in the room next to the kitchen and faced the wall. All day long, the chair would be filled and emptied several times. When one of the four girls began the screeching, high pitched whiny voice, off to the chair they'd go. We'd say, "We can't understand you when you're whining. Sit in the chair until you're done and then you can come back and join everyone else

 "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ... But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ..." Matthew 7:24-29 "When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation." Proverbs 10:25 Our missions team had a clear target for the week: Assemble as many large and stable storage sheds as possible for the families whose homes were destroyed or seriously damaged by a series of tornadoes. The group worked tirelessly inspired by the gratitude of the families and the sense of being used by God to truly make a difference. Each shed came in prefabricated sections. Once the foundation sections were set, squared, secured and level, the rest of the shed went up like clockwork equipped to serve its purpose.  Jesus taught all the time about living a life that was stable, strong, and prepared for impac