Category: A Life Worthy

  • Thank You One-a-Day Thursday  11/11/21

    Thank You One-a-Day Thursday 11/11/21

    Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

    Thank you, Veteran.

    Thank you for leaving your home behind in order to protect it.

    Thank you for setting aside your freedoms to help safeguard mine.

    Thank you for fighting for my right to protest, even when my protest saddens or angers or disgusts you.

    Thank you for shouldering a rifle, or climbing into a chopper, or racing toward a bomb blast, knowing that today could be the day that you are called to give “the last full measure of devotion.”

    You must be terrified.

    You go anyway.

    For me

    For all of us

    Thank you.

  • The One He Loves Monday 1/29/18

    The One He Loves Monday 1/29/18

    In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(Ephesians 1:6).

    In Christ

    Not just with Christ–though definitely with Christ.

    Not just because of Christ–though certainly because of Christ.

    Not just through Christ–though that is the only way.

    In Christ.

    This grace the Father has given us is wrapped up in the person of Jesus.

    Inextricable

    I like that word–I’m gonna say it again.

    Inextricable

    Because grace, though not based upon our work, is in fact based upon work.

    Christ’s

    And grace comes only from the Father, and grace comes only in the Son.

    So any who would desire grace without the cross, well, they’re missing the point.

    And the boat

    Happy Monday, Beloved.

  • Fear? What Fear? One-a-Day Friday  12/29/17

    Fear? What Fear? One-a-Day Friday  12/29/17

    The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?

    The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  (Psalm 27:1)

    We are coming up on the New Year.  When you think about it, it’s just an arbitrary date on an imaginary calendar.  I mean, it’s not like Monday is going to look different from today.  Sky will still be blue, grass will still be green, gravity should remain fairly constant.

    Still…

    We look at the New Year as a time to start fresh, to begin (or re-begin) new things.  We wonder about the future and what it will hold for us.  What opportunities await us in the coming year? What challenges?  What treasures lie in our paths, and what monsters lie in wait?  It can be an exciting time—and a scary time.

    As you gird your loins for January 1, ask yourself the same question David asks: With God as my light, my life, my protector, what can possibly frighten me?

    Happy endof2017, Beloved.

  • Words One-a-Day Thursday  12/28/17

    Words One-a-Day Thursday  12/28/17

    Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it  (James 4:11).

    So, now that the extended family is gone…tell me.

    How many snide remarks were there?

    How often did you mock Weird Uncle Dave because, well, look at him with that silly comb-over and that “girlfriend” who is, what, half his age and is obviously only after him for his money and is totally playing him for a fool?

    Or what about Great Aunt Susie, who insists on bringing her “Famous”  eggplant casserole that causes brave men to weep and pit bulls to lie down and die?

    Or Cousin Jimmy, who’s working retail…still.

    Or…

    Yeah…

    Christmas is over.  

    Christ isn’t.

    Remember grace, Beloved.

    Happy Thursday.

  • Whatever it Takes   One-a-Day Monday    6/26/17

    Whatever it Takes   One-a-Day Monday    6/26/17

    Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.  As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly  (Philippians 1:12-14).

    I once ran over my foot with a pallet jack loaded with cases of soup.

    I don’t recommend it.

    The wheel of the pallet jack ran up my foot, paused ever so briefly, and returned to the ground.  During its journey, it took a moment to split my big toe like a grape.

    It hurt.  A lot.

    The guys I worked with at the grocery store gathered around and tried to help…but there’s not much you can do for a popped toe. One of them, knowing I am a Christian, offered the following: “Hey, you’re not allowed to cuss, are you?  Want me to cuss for you?” He then proceeded to turn to the store at large and scream a really creative string of profanities.  Fortunately for us all, the customer count was pretty low at 1:00 a.m.

    I became a bit of a curiosity for the guys, because although the pain was pretty intense, I didn’t pitch a fit or curse the heavens. As it happened, from that day on they took me, and perhaps my faith, a little more seriously.

    Did what happened to me serve to advance the gospel?  I think, in a really truly very small way, yes.

    I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you have never been imprisoned because of your faith in Christ.  I certainly haven’t.  I’d be hard pressed to show any moment in my life in which I was persecuted for the gospel.  But difficult things have happened to me, just as they happen to you.  The way that we respond to these difficulties shines like a beacon to the people around us.

    Today, tomorrow, this week or next, something hard is going to come your way.  When it does, let it serve to advance the gospel. Let those who see you see that you are different.  Maybe they’ll even ask you why you’re different.

    Then you get to tell them.

    Happy Monday, Beloved.

  • Apart From You  One-a-Day Tuesday    5/23/17

    Apart From You  One-a-Day Tuesday    5/23/17

    I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”(Psalm 16:2)

    Every now and then, my family goes out of town.  It’s just me and the dog.  And things are…different.  It’s not so much that I’m doing different things—I still eat, sleep, go to work, wash the occasional dish.  It’s that, without my family here, it all seems rather…blah.  The people for whom I do these things aren’t here, so my actions feel a little meaningless, a little empty.

    It’s kinda like that in this verse.  Apart from God, I would still have things.  I would still do things.  I would still be things.  But those things would be devoid of meaning.

    They would be robbed of their goodness.

    With God at the center, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28, if you’re wondering).  Without him at the center, why bother?  Whatever I do, or think, or feel…it’s not going to be good.  Because he is what makes it good. In him I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28).

    So, without him, bupkis.  With him…Woohooo!

    Whadday say?  Shall we make today a Woohoo kinda day?

    Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

  • The Boast One-a-Day Wednesday    1/18/17

    The Boast One-a-Day Wednesday    1/18/17

    May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world   (Galatians 6:14).

    The world has been crucified to me.

    It no longer has power over me, no longer owns me

    no longer is me.

    The world is dead to me.

    So why does it still call with such a loud voice?

    I have been crucified to the world.

    I no longer belong here, no longer invest here

    I am in it, but not of it.

    I am dead to the world.

    So why do I still live like it matters so much?

  • Poser-Plus  One-a-Day Tuesday    1/17/17

    Poser-Plus One-a-Day Tuesday    1/17/17

    Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh  (Galatians 6:13).

    It’s called hypocrisy…and it’s annoying.

    Those people I talked about yesterday–the ones who want you to look a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain way in order to validate their picture of what a Christian should be?  

    Yeah, well, they’re probably not even walking the walk themselves.

    Frankly, the fact that they are paying so much attention to you is a pretty good indicator of the state of their relationship with God.

    I mean…not that you’re not worth paying attention to.

    Walk your walk. Beloved.  Ignore the poser people.

    Happy Tuesday

  • Posers One-a-Day Monday    1/16/17

    Posers One-a-Day Monday    1/16/17

    Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised.  The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:12).

    They were called Judaizers.  These were Christians who feared the Jewish population, and tried to fly under the radar by following the outward signs of Judaism–like circumcision–while still proclaiming Christ.

    Really hard to pull that off.

    The worst of it was, they pushed new, immature, Gentile believers into following these same rules.  According to Paul, this was done not to help the new believers, but to protect the Judaizers.  And it was costly–if these baby Christians got caught up in following rules and regulations and outward signs, it was easy to forget that Jesus came to free them from following rules and regulations and outward signs.

    Faith could get swallowed up by religion…again.

    Beloved, the chances are slim that you will be asked to get circumcised today.  In fact, you can probably relax regarding the whole Jewish sacrificial system.  But there are still those who will expect you to look a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain way that does not come from a biblical understanding of Christ.

    Run from them.

    Your relationship with Jesus is just that–your relationship with Jesus.  Don’t let anyone but the Holy Spirit speaking through Scripture tell you what that has to look like.  

    Don’t be conformed, but transformed.

    Happy Monday, Beloved.

  • More Good  One-a-Day Friday    1/13/17

    More Good  One-a-Day Friday    1/13/17

    Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:10).

    Here’s a challenge…

    You’re still reading?  Great.

    Take a few moments, before you head out on your Friday adventure, and ask God to show you opportunities to do good today.  Ask that he open your eyes to the people around you who need the kind of help that you can provide.

    Then, you know…provide it.

    Beloved, how great would it be if you–if I–if we–had the reputation of being kind and loving and always there for each other and willing to help everyone even those we disagree with and generally loving every day and all the time.

    So let’s build it.  Starting today.

    Happy Friday, Beloved.