Day of Praise

Sa, 6/29/13, "Day of Praise"

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." -
Proverbs 16:23

Dear Lord God, Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day that you've given us. Saturday is a day of rest and recreation for most of us. But some of us have some important meetings today about relationships and the way people act in those relationships and various other matters of importance. Move us by your Holy Spirit to call on you and listen for you and listen to you before we speak. And then grant us, Lord, to speak your words and wisdom and not our own, for your word alone is life and life abundant.
We ask this in Jesus's name,
Amen

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." -
Proverbs 16:23

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 6/29/13, "Day of Praise"

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." -
Proverbs 16:23

Dear Lord God, Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day that you've given us. Saturday is a day of rest and recreation for most of us. But some of us have some important meetings today about relationships and the way people act in those relationships and various other matters of importance. Move us by your Holy Spirit to call on you and listen for you and listen to you before we speak. And then grant us, Lord, to speak your words and wisdom and not our own, for your word alone is life and life abundant.
We ask this in Jesus's name,
Amen

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." -
Proverbs 16:23


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 6/28/13, "Day of Praise"

1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Fear: the topic has come up a lot the last couple weeks in this devotion either in the devotion itself or your replies. Fear of heights. Fear of water. Fear of strangers. Fear of getting cheated. Fear of getting cheated again. Fear of being plotted against. Fear of unfounded fears, which, for the many kids who read this with your parents, means you have fears that have no foundation or basis in fact. As my friend, Steve Wilson, replied recently, F.E.A.R. is False Evidence Appearing Real.
When I was a kid, my older brother, Ben, and I loved to scare our younger sister, Cheryl. The upstairs hallway of our house had a little right-then-left turn about halfway down. That turn was a great place to "hide" (though it was more like "lurking", which for you kids means "to lie in wait, as in ambush"). And Cheryl would come down the hall and almost get to her room and BOOM, we'd jump out from that turn, and we'd yell or growl and scare the daylights out of her.

Yep. That's what Ben and I did, though, to be fair to Ben, I think I did it far more than he did, especially when my dad pulled the Halloween mask box out of the attic. I loved wearing those masks, ya know, plastic on your whole face that was attached to a string that went behind your head. I'm sure their was a "devil" mask that worked really well, but even Pluto and Snow White worked just as well, if I remember correctly. (I mean, this was like 40+ years ago!)

But I definitely remember that the thing that made scaring Cheryl the most effective was not the mask or even the darkness, but it was the element of surprise. God bless her; Cheryl got to the point that she was afraid to walk down the hall unless she turned every light in the house on. And my dad, God love him, I'm sure I remember correctly that sometimes I'd get a whoopin' because Cheryl would leave all the lights on and drive up the power bill, and dad knew why she left the lights on. And lookin' back, I agree with him. I actually remember agreeing with him then. It was right for me "to pay" for the lights; it was my cost for seeing my little sister jump right out of her skin. Surprise!

I know this is getting too long, so here's the point: today's Bible verse, "perfect love casts out fear". In sum, there's a lot of stuff in this dark, sinful world that is lurking, just waiting to jump out from around a corner and surprise! Oftentimes the "pouncer" is wearing a mask so you're left wondering just who exactly is behind the whole evil scheme.

What's a person to do?

Take a hint from my little sister: TURN THE LIGHT ON! Translation: Call on Jesus! Jesus is the light of the world, and light scatters darkness. He's perfect love, and perfect love casts out fear. And he's the Lord! And since he's the Lord, even the little devils and Plutos and Snow Whites and all the other masked creatures must obey him.

It's as if Jesus is saying to the scary people and things in the world, "Skeeeeeedaddle, ya little devils, no lurking allowed. But when one of ya does get through, it's still too bad for you because my Daddy in Heaven gonna give you a whoopin' that you'll be tellin' your 'friends' about forever."

Indeed, "Perfect love casts out fear!"

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 6/27/13, "Day of Praise"

"And Herod with his soldiers treated [Jesus] with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other." - Luke 23:11-12

It's a simple premise actually: we tend to become friends with people who enjoy and therefore value the same things as we do.

In today's verse, Pilate and Herod both enjoyed ridiculing Jesus, so it makes sense that the at-one-time enemies would become friends. Unfortunately, such a friendship can only self-destruct.

In contrast, God wants us to believe that if we'll value seeking and serving the Lord (instead of griping about the Lord and other people), then we'll find friendships that endure forever.

As we shared in worship yesterday, a friendship cannot just be based on going to church because there are tragically lots of people who go to church but remain their own lord of their own life, which is usually characterized by discontentment and griping, disinterest in studying God's word, and disinterest in serving others.

Enduring friendships are found with people who value trusting the everlasting God, which is characterized by a consistent joyful spirit, an eagerness to worship God, and a conviction that serving others in love is a natural fruit from the overflow of a daily, personal relationship with the only true God who pours himself and his love into us by the outpouring of his Holy Spirit.

Please. Reread today's thoughts. As I've heard both Bruce Johnston with JH Ranch and author Benny Proffitt (check out Benny's awesome book "Charting the Course" http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0976006634) rightly teach in very practical ways, if you want great relationships, it's more important to focus on becoming the right person and valuing the right things than it is finding the right person who treats you the right way.

When we value being in a loving, obedient/trusting, and joyful relationship with God through Jesus, the valuable earthly relationships will follow.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 6/26/13, "Day of Praise"

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" - Matthew 25:37, 38, 40

A few weeks ago, it was the beginning of our vacation, and we had stopped on our way to Florida. My daughter, Calley, was walking back toward the McDonald's and me with one of the homeless bags that our church puts together. The homeless bags are gallon-sized ziploc bags with a Bible, water, crackers, and other small encouragements. I couldn't see anyone that Calley might give the bag to until I stepped beyond the garbage can. But on the other side of the garbage can was a small man with very weathered skin, who looked very much like a leprechaun.

In a few moments, all three of my kids and I were visiting with the homeless man, whose name was Carl Novack. Like another man we know, Carl had lost his wife and children in a car accident. So he wandered.

Carl was very nice and well-spoken and asked for nothing. But he was very appreciative when we gave him the homeless bag. He talked about the Lord and clearly knew Jesus personally. And Carl smiled a huge smile when we shared a number of very nice golf shirts that had been given to my son and me by Bob and Barbara Terlep and my brother, Ben DeGreen, Jr. Carl told us that he would wear the shirts in the evening which was when he enjoyed singing Country and Western to no one in particular.

The point of all this in connection with today's Bible verse is not that we were righteous, but instead that Carl Novack was like Jesus. Overall, Carl gave us much more encouragement and inspiration to hope and kindness and faith and perseverance. Carl gave us much more spiritually than we gave him materially with a homeless bag and shirts.

I would've missed him altogether. But Calley spotted him because she was looking. And all of us were blessed by one who was certainly like Jesus to us. And who knows; maybe he was.

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" - Matthew 25:37, 38, 40

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 6/25/13, "Day of Praise"

Acts 8:30-31 - "So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him."

We could have just thought that the Harley guy had stopped to take pictures of the beautiful, active volcano, which at 14,179 feet dominates the northern California landscape and which is covered by seven, global-warming-defying, growing glaciers and which is also known as Mount Shasta
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Sunrise_on_Mount_Shasta.jpg/220px-Sunrise_on_Mount_Shasta.jpg).

And as we walked the clearly brand-new, Mount Shasta trivia-covered, 50-yard sidewalk and neared him, we could have just thought that the Harley guy had stopped to read his Bible and, therefore, we should have just let him have his peace.

But the Holy Spirit of the living God wasn't going to just let us walk past the ZZ Top look-alike (http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRb1s2Pja_R6E4sq-oyjvEzyex9Cn4FM8_0JMy9LxF-YPLBpkU1jr9AzQ) without us noticing that, at this beautiful, awe-inspiring vista, the motorcycle man was not just reading his Bible. He was reading the Book of Job.

So the Holy Spirit gave us an Acts 8:30-31 kind of exchange. We said, "Do you understand what you're reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited us to come and sit with him.

To make a not-too-long story short, we discovered that his Harley had broken down at the only place in this stretch of road where 1) he could safely pull his bike off the road and 2) his phone could pick up a signal so he could call a distant relative who lived a few hours away. We also discovered that he had self-admittedly lived a shameful life, and he had just been convicted by the Holy Spirit to open and read the Bible that he'd been given years ago but had toted around without cracking it open until about 30 minutes before. Then we discovered that he thought you get into heaven by hoping that you get things turned around just enough in just the nick of time so that God will consider letting you in. And then we discovered his name was K__ A_______.

And then we discovered that God was again true to his promise and worked through all that K.A. had just shared to bring our lives together at just the right moment so we could tell him that God knows his shame and ours, which is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to bear and wipe away our shame on the cross and to give us a new life through the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the risen Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And then we prayed for K.A. to receive Christ and to live a new life in the strength and love of Jesus Christ.

And then we got back in our car and finished our drive to beautiful JH Ranch (http://m.jhranch.com/AboutUs.asp?rewrite=Y) for our father/daughter camp and more Mount Shasta height highs of sharing Jesus and seeing others, like a 14-year old previously-atheistic boy, come to saving faith in God's love through Jesus.

Please pray for K.A. and that 14-yr old boy and all the poor souls on the road of life who don't know, or who have just discovered, what to do with the poverty of shame in their souls.

And while you're at it, don't forget to give yours to Jesus too!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, Jun 24, "Day of Praise", (Today is Kristen's last one that she'd prepared for when I was on vacation. A big thank you to Kristen.)

"When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left." – Luke 23:33

My daddy always told me to save the best for last and I'm pretty sure that this is just that. Without Christ's crucifixion there would be no Gospel to communicate. We would still be as nomads forever wandering in the desert; we would still be as lost sheep with no shepherd. But praise God for sacrificing Himself for us poor, wicked sinners. We therefore should respond likewise, sacrificing ourselves for our brothers and sisters and the world.

Sometimes this looks like being in a leadership role even when you know the amount of ridicule you'll receive no matter what you do. Sometimes this looks like not getting the game ball even when you just played the best game of your career. Sometimes this looks like taking on someone's nasty attitude to prevent someone else from having to deal with it. Sometimes this looks like congratulating the guy that just intercepted your pass. Sometimes this looks like squeezing in a play date with someone you're not sure about. Sometimes this looks like not taking on the leadership role so that someone else can develop their leadership skills. Sometimes this looks like listening instead of talking. And sometimes this looks like death on a cross.

Whatever it might look like, sacrifice yourself and, in doing so, live the Gospel.

Praise God!





Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, Jun 22, "Day of Praise", (Today and Monday are the last two (for now) to have two devotional reflections with Kristen and myself.)

Pastor Chris -
Psalm 73:28 -
"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works."

God loves it when we tell the good things he's done for us. God loves it because it's a way that God's made for us to speak life into one another. Here are two replies from Day of Praise readers this past week. Notice how both their replies encourage you, even when you probably don't even know them. That's the power of telling of God's works. So, read these, and then go tell someone what God's done for you. (Ben is my dear brother. Bob has been a dear friend for 23 years. Then Kristen's devotion follows.)

Ben DeGreen, Jr. -
Interesting to think about some of those Biblical heroes mentioned in Hebrews, many of them not only internalized fear, but also showed it outwardly, sometimes one on one with God and other times with an additional audience. For example, after striking down an Egyptian, Moses ran for the wilderness and was a forgotten man for 40 years. God wanted him to go back to Egypt, not only to lead His people out of bondage, but also for him to face his fear of what he left behind and most importantly to trust in Him, the Great I AM. When confronted by God in the burning bush, he didn't want to go, saying, "Lord, choose someone else, someone who can speak more eloquently." God gave Moses a couple of security blankets: his brother, Aaron, and a staff. Even with Moses' past failure and doubt, God still loved Moses and had a deeper relationship with him than any man that ever walked the face of the earth, other than Jesus Christ. Consider God's great love for Moses, even after death, by remembering how Christ was transfigured on the Mount of Olives with two men: Moses was one of those two, the other Elijah. And there is a great story about him, about doubt and fear as well, but that will wait until another time.

The point to all of that is, even after we are crippled by fear and unbelief, God can still use us as he did Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Peter, and countless others. We just need to dust ourselves off and move forward.

Bob Kasper, Jr. -
Zip lines over water for a man who fears
heights and doesn't swim. Certainly illustrates how far we are willing to go
for our daughters/children/grand children.

I have a tablet and store a number of pictures on it, there is an app that
plays these pictures in the background. There are pictures of all 4, I can
be in a foul mood, angry, depressed, fearful, and a picture of one of them
will rotate on to the screen, and my heart is instantly changed, the reaction sometimes so strong as to be physical. Sometimes I have been lost in my concerns for the world, and one or the other of them at different times will climb into my lap, physically grab my face and turn it to look at them and what they are doing. And my heart is lifted. It is as if God is saying, "hey dummy look over here this is what is important this is where your focus should be."

Joseph is a very sensitive young man and very close to me, even when I am
trying hard not to let them see when I am struggling with something. He will
quietly come over, put a hand on me, look into my eyes, and ask, "Grandpa, are
you OK? Is there anything I can do for you?" He is 9! Melts my heart, reminds
me where my heart and mind should be. Such a precious blessing and special
gift. "And a child shall lead them..." indeed!

Kristen -
"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind." – Isaiah 65:17

Pain, sorrow, grief, torment, sin; physical limitations and spiritual limitations are all cast aside when God, through Christ Jesus, intervenes in our world and brings us into a new and better one. Restoration to our original state, before sin, before guilt, and before death, no longer cast out, but brought in.

When people ask us "what's so great about your God?", we tell them that He has power to do what no other can, namely, to create and to recreate, to renew and to restore, to do the unthinkable and the unbelievable – and yet we believe. Longing for what no other can give to us, a new life in which the old life is forgotten, pray for that day and proclaim your hope in it to those that you know and meet.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, Jun 21, "Day of Praise", (This week has two devotional reflections and rotates who's placed first between Kristen and myself.)

Kristen -
"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend my lambs.' He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Shepherd My sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'" – John 21:15-23

Communicate the Gospel by caring for those whom God has entrusted to you. Your spouses, your children, and your neighbors (i.e. everyone you come into contact with).

The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) comes to mind when I read this passage. Especially verses 29-30a, "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

You see, a major part of proving our love for God is caring for His sheep and His creation. A heavy, burdensome, wearisome task we have sometimes, I know, but I do love My Lord and I want Him to know it. Besides isn't He really the One doing all the good work in and through us? Isn't He really the One who has already taken responsibility for all of our mistakes? Isn't He really the One who will see His own words accomplished?

If we truly believe the things we read and speak of from His word then we must intentionally be shepherding one another and the world. We must be protection from wolves and providers of food and shelter. We must go out and search for the lost, and we must rejoice when they return home. We must be shepherds worthy of the sheep that have been entrusted to us, all the while knowing that almighty God is the shepherd of us all. Praise God!

Pastor Chris -
Matthew 14:30 -
"But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'"

Like her older sister, Calley, last year, my daughter, Cassidy, was quite the pacesetter at camp last week. She wasn't necessarily the best at everything, but she was often the first.

Like the 757, which is a 50-feet high telephone pole, topped by a 14-inch square board, which you're supposed to stand up on so you can jump out 7 feet to a trapeze bar that is 7 feet higher than the top of the pole. Cassidy was the first in our group to scamper up 50 feet, jump out 7, and grab a hold of the 7 feet higher (or 57 feet high) trapeze bar.

Or like the Alpine Tower, which has all sorts of poles and ropes, but is 10 feet higher than the 757. Cassidy was the first in our group to climb that 60-feet high craziness.

So, many people at camp, even ones we hadn't even met but who were watching all this, these people start to call Cassidy "Fearless."

And I said to her, "Cassidy, I'm so proud of you." She said, "Why?" I said, "Because you're so courageous with all this stuff." And then she said, "Dad, I'm afraid, but I just want to try these things and grow in the Lord."

Friends, there were all sorts of famously faithful people in the Bible who, just like Cassidy, were afraid, but they did stuff because they wanted to grow in the Lord: Gideon, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, David, the New Testament Joseph and Mary, Peter, the women at Jesus' empty tomb. Along with many other faithful ones, they all experienced fear, but they kept going because they wanted to grow in the Lord, who leads us through things with a love and wisdom that are greater than our fears.

So, as challenging things are set before you today, don't kick yourself and call yourself "weak" or "chicken" if you happen to be afraid. Instead, put your eyes on Jesus because he promises to lead you through whatever might come your way.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, Jun 20, "Day of Praise", (The balance of this week has two devotional reflections and rotates who's placed first between Kristen and myself.)

Pastor Chris -
Micah 4:9 - "Why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you?"

They were 30 feet high, walking on quarter-inch cable, crossing over and under ropes, except when they were jumping from "cloud" to "cloud" which were boards nailed together in three feet by three feet or smaller islands across the cables. It's a big island if it's only you hopping one to another. It's a small island when you have to get all six people in your group on the island before you can start to go to the next one.

I was 30 feet below on the ground, taking pictures. But no snapshot could capture what frequently happened as the 5th and 6th people tried to get on the next cloud.

Yelling! Lots of yelling! With most of the group crying out to no one in particular. As sweet Bronwyn Estep said in the debriefing, "As if yelling was actually going to keep us all from falling off of the cloud."

That's what God's saying through Micah in today's Bible verse, "Why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you?" (Micah 4:9). In essence, God's saying, "Yelling is not going to make anything any better. But if you'll remember the king in you, he can certainly save the day!"

Yep, Jesus Christ, the King of kings wants to live in you by the power of the Holy Spirit so that the next time you feel like you're falling off your cloud, well, there's no need to yell. Just appeal to and trust in the King. He'll make sure that you, and all your loved ones, stay on board together! Praise God!

Now here's Kristen -
"Then the Lord said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.'" – Jeremiah 14:14

Or as John puts it, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

Either way, what does this have to do with us communicating the Gospel? Well, for one thing it means that receiving and then effectively communicating the true Gospel has become more difficult because there are people out there communicating a false Gospel or, at the very least, false assurance.

What is this false Gospel? What is this false assurance? Think Romans 6 – "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase?" But instead of our churches, our households, our community events being filled with Paul's hardy "By no means!" many have come to be filled with tolerance to open sin. And unfortunately this tolerance has recently been finding its origins at the top of the church organization food chain. Some "leaders" have loose morals at best. One pastor stole from his members. Some churches sell distraction in a cup labeled "Starbucks", and there are deacons who pat people on the back after a wild night of drinking. Now please understand that these are all hypothetical situations to whatever degree, but we had better be examining what direction our leaders are leading us in and what direction we're leading others in.

We need others to be and we ourselves need to be a Nathan (speaking truth boldly), not a combo like Ananias and Sapphira (who teamed in Acts 5 to hide the truth). Look at the difference in the two accounts – life for Nathan – death for Ananias and Sapphira. It's pretty simple.

We are so fortunate at Christ the King to have two wonderful Pastors who build our church upon a solid Biblical foundation. They preach what they live – Biblical truth – which does not tolerate sin. May we be found communicating the Gospel by testing all things against the word of God which is living and active and endures forever.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, Jun 19, "Day of Praise", (The balance of this week has two devotional reflections and rotates who's placed first between Kristen and myself.)

Kristen-
"Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked." - Proverbs 25:26

I'm going to go the "Counter-imitation" route on this one - we do not communicate the Gospel when we give in to sin.

This one is so difficult to articulate because this sort of "giving way" manifests itself in our lives continually.

As I sit, contemplating the ways in which I myself have sinned just today or the ways in which I feel others have sinned against me, they are innumerable.

We have opportunities every moment of every day to take part in gossip, betrayal, and overindulgence; to have malice, deceit, covetousness, and jealousy in our hearts; to behave in every other sort of selfishness that could possibly come to mind; to feel fear and doubt.

But God would have us use these opportunities to be as Christ. I'll take my cue now from my Grandma Volk, who is the most faithful woman I have ever met, and share with you the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi because it gives a great description of what being as Christ looks like.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen, and Praise God!

Now, here's Pastor Chris.

Isaiah 11:6b -
"And a little child shall lead them."

I hurt my left shoulder very badly months ago and like any good man, who never asks directions, I still haven't been to the doctor about it. Furthermore, I'm still terrified of heights, and I still think the only three uses of water are rain, getting clean in a shower, and Holy Baptisms.

So!

Why in the world would I even consider sliding down a 60 feet high, 100-yard long zipline and crash back first (if I hit it just right, otherwise it's the injured left shoulder first) into a manmade lake at camp last week?

Why?!?!?!

Because my 17-year old daughter, Cassidy, asked me to.

"Daddy," she says, "do you wanna go down the zipline with me?"

She's 17! Not 7.

I'm 48.

There aren't many of these invitations left in life.

So we gear up; we walk up; we climb up; we get hooked up; we get instructed; we stand backwards on the platform; they open the gate; and she starts singing.

"Jesus loves me! This I know..."

She looks at me, still singing; she bends her knees; she says, "Bye, Daddy!"; and there she goes.

What's a real man to do?

Well, let's just say that, with the exception of losing my swim shoes when I hit (and thankfully not my swim trunks...well, not completely, anyway), it was an incredibly smooth landing in the lake.

And what else should I have expected?

After all, God promised, didn't he? "And a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)

Hey, Gang, do something with a kid today. You'll be blessed!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, Jun 18, "Day of Praise", (As I really want to share the last few of Kristen's awesome devotions, the balance of this week will have two devotional reflections, and we'll rotate who's placed first.)

Pastor Chris -
Jeremiah 13:23 -
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?"

Some things, like leopard spots, can't change. But other things can change in a flash. Or as our Cabin Coach at camp last week said, "Life can change on a dime."

My daughter, Cassidy, and I were sharing our 6-hour, end-of-the-week, Daddy-Daughter-talk at camp on Saturday. Cassidy likes to have talks in the car. So we were driving in beautiful (translation "distracting"), northern California mountains on winding, narrow (translation "you better be paying attention") roads.

I ask Cassidy a profound Daddy-Daughter-talk question, "Where should I spit out this bad piece of the apple?" She moves a brown paper bag toward me so I can look down and spit.

Future memo to self: Looking down to spit out an apple while driving on a mountainous, California road is ridiculously more stupid than texting while driving on any road.

Thank God for the angel that moved Cassidy to look up, to see the 150-foot cliff we were about to run off, and to say, "Dad!"

Guys, we were like "this" close, "life can change on a dime" close to dying.

A leopard can't change his spots, but life can change on a dime. So enjoy each moment, love one another, and Praise God!

Now, here's Kristen's God-glorifying devotion.

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And whatever he does, he prospers." - Psalm 1:1-3

We communicate the Gospel when we're deeply rooted in the word of God; it is the bottomless, never-emptying well from which we continually drink the water of life until we are reunited with our God through Jesus Christ and are able to drink from the true well of everlasting life.

Take a few moments to visualize this tree; its gigantic trunk, sprawling branches, big, bright, green leaves, and deep, deep roots that penetrate the ground in search of water. How many animals and bugs do you suppose find their home or food in the tree? How many men seek to be shaded by its branches? And what would be the consequence of this tree no longer getting all of the water it needs to survive? It would die. And the other living things depending upon it for life would die, too.

Fortunately, God's promises speak to this tree so it never has to worry about that as long as it remains "firmly planted by streams of water." It will continue to yield "its fruit in its season," and its leaf will not wither; and whatever it does, it prospers.

So, believe in God's promises, and spend plenty of time reading about them, reflecting upon them, and sharing their fruit with those who look to you for food and shelter. A sandwich and a cup of water are great, but they quickly become waste. The word of God endures forever; it does not rot or become moldy or lose value in any way.

Eat and drink of the everlasting bread and water, i.e. the word of God, and then feed it to those you know and meet. And you'll be for them as this tree is for its inhabitants – a place of refuge, strength, and life.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, Jun 17, "Day of Praise" (I'm sorry I had no cell signal at the camp I attended with my daughter, Cassidy, so I couldn't send this past week of devotions that Kristen Ferrier had lovingly prepared. Today is from Kristen. The next few days will have both one of Kristen's final devotions and one from me. Thank you, Kristen!)

"And He said to them, 'Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?'" - Luke 2:49

I just love the sort of matter of fact way in which Jesus asks this question of his parents. Surely he knows that they left Jerusalem two days ago (go back and read verse 44), but does he recognize the heartache of a parent whose child has gone missing? I doubt it. But even if he did, then you have to further wonder if it would have made any difference in his actions.

You see, Jesus had his priorities straight. He was about His Father's business (another common translation of the final word of His question). Did he care for his mother and father? Was he concerned with what they wanted for him? I think "yes" is the appropriate answer to both of those questions, but He also knew that His calling, His future was rooted in something/someone far greater. Christ's mission was to fulfill what His Father had in store for Him.

The same is true for us as followers of Christ. Our Father has something greater in store for us, but we must live in His house and be about His business.

I remember when I first told my mother I was going into education. "Ok, but there's no money in education," she said. But I was/am perfectly okay with that because I know that educating children is the very business that God has created me to do. He has gifted me for it and made a way for me to get to doing it.

And the same is true of you housewives, accountants, public servants, electricians, dentists, prayer warriors, custodians, and so on. And when someone asks you why you do what you do, then just be sure to tell them that you, like Christ, are in your Father's house and all about the business that He has set before you.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, Jun 8, 20th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, 'Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:9-10

Have you ever wept over your sin? I think if you asked my oldest son he would tell you that I did that very thing today. But he would also tell you that I wept over the great and mighty act that God has so graciously done for me – namely that effectual work of baptism – the forgiveness of my sins and eternal salvation.

In today's passage that work of baptism is the very thing that Nehemiah and Ezra remind the people of; they communicate the Gospel to their people by reassuring them of the joy of the Lord. Now, hopefully most of you recollect Pastor Chris's sermon on this very thing not too many weeks ago; it was a powerful one for sure and something that I can never hear too much. Think prodigal son – the Lord our God longs for nothing more than to be reunited with us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is available to us and close to us, so that, though we may mourn and lament over our own sin, we can even moreso be comforted, encouraged, and reassured in the gift of eternal life. So the next time you encounter your own sin or the confession of someone else's sin, then remember, and remind yourself and them that One has come to free us from sin and guilt so that we can live now in the joy of the Lord which is our strength.

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, Jun 7, 19th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." - Mark 1:9

The Gospel is communicated through participation in the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

As Lutherans we believe that Holy Baptism is effectual – from Luther's Small Catechism – "It WORKS forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare."

And when others witness us or our loved ones being baptized, celebrating our baptismal birthdays, or contemplating the many biblical uses of terms associated with water they are witness to the Gospel. Now go and celebrate! For Christ has worked in you something that you cannot work in yourself, and remember His command to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…" because with every baptism comes that many more witnesses to and for the Gospel.

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, Jun 6, 18th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.'" - Ezra 1:2

So here is one of those instances in which I am blown away by the way that the Gospel can be communicated even through someone who has not yet realized that they are a part of it.

You see, king Cyrus knew that there was one true God of heaven and earth and that all authority and dominion and power were His to give to whom He pleased. And not only did king Cyrus know this, but he proclaimed it – to the Jews, to the Persians, and to what was at that time the whole world. And not only did he proclaim it, but he lived it by not just allowing, but ordering the Jews to return to their home and rebuild the house of God.

King Cyrus knew that all that he had came from God; it was God who gave him the land and the people that made up his kingdom. He had been entrusted with dominion over both, much like man had been in Genesis.

How unfortunate that, since creation, we have all strived to say, "I can do this on my own" or "Look at what I have accomplished all by myself." But not Cyrus and hopefully not you; hopefully you know that all that you have and all that you are called to do is attributed to God. You have been given what you have been given that you might be responsible with it, caring for it, and utilizing it to the glory of God. Now get out there, proclaim it, and live it!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, Jun 5, 17th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist an evil person, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." - Matthew 5:38-39

Maybe you or someone you know has been deeply injured by another's words or actions and has found themselves saying something along the lines of, "I'm really gonna let them have it!"

The world's perspective on this phrase might look like yelling at that person (in private or in public), "telling-off" that person (in private or in public), gossiping behind that person's back, posting nasty stuff about that person on social media sites, or getting physical with that person.

But Christ's perspective on this phrase definitely does not look anything like that. In fact, His perspective looks like permitting that injurer to continue to injure you, i.e. giving them the other cheek. Of course, it gets even better than that; remember, pray for your enemies or, even better, Proverbs 25:21-22 and its use by Paul in Romans 12:20. Or maybe read the surrounding verses, Romans 12:19 & 21. (And, yes, I am going to make you look those up on your own; it will be good for you. :) )

We, as followers of Christ, must represent Him in all of our interactions with others which means not looking like the world when we "let 'em have it!"

I've tried not to share too many personal things during my time working on these DoPs; I would rather God have to say what God has to say, but I can't help but share an incident that happened to us recently because it fits so well with today's verse.

My husband, Tracy, and I do post scripture and encouragements on social media sites and we were recently slammed on a specific site by someone who barely even knows us and was definitely making false accusations; they called us hypocrites and said that we didn't choose their son to be on the All-Star baseball team because we don't like them; remember, we barely even know them. Our response – prayer, kindness, truth, encouragement, and even putting in a good word for the dad as the future head football coach. In fact, I'm hoping to see them a lot this week and can't wait to be Christ for them.

You see, we know that we can suffer for what is good and right because having the Gospel is far greater than looking good and "right" in men's eyes. We can turn the other cheek and give our enemies drink and food because we know where true drink and food and life come from – Christ Jesus. And perhaps our enemies don't know these things.

We want two things for our enemies – first, for them to see that we're really not hypocrites, but not for our sake – for Christ's. We live this life. And the other thing we want for our enemies is for them to join us at the everlasting feast; we want them to know the true life that comes with being in relationship with Christ. And the only way we can do that is by accurately representing Christ, by forgiving them (because let's face it – they really don't know what they're doing or talking about), by being exemplars of Christ to them, by giving them the other cheek.

I'm not saying be a doormat; I'm just reminding you of Nathan from two days ago. How you deal with people says a lot about who you are, so please be sure that, when you "let 'em have it," you do so as Christ has commanded, and in so doing you will be communicating the Gospel.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, Jun 4, 16th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Nathan then said to David, 'You are the man!' Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.'" - 2 Samuel 12:7a & 13a

The other side of that double-sided coin from two days ago is…repentance, confession, admittance, or whatever other synonym you would like to use to describe what David does here.

What else can I say? "Man! I don't like the sound of that; it means telling everyone else that I messed up. I don't mess up. I've got my stuff together. It's you that needs to see things from my perspective. I'm justified in the way I acted and in what I said because you, you (fill in the blank)!!" "You" - yelled at me first – stole something from me – tricked me – didn't do what I asked you to do, exactly how I asked you to do it – didn't give me what I deserved – gave me something I didn't deserve. "You" – accused me!

But as faithful followers of Christ, as members of the body devoted to proclaiming the Gospel, as disciples of Christ who are charged with discipling, as people who know who we really are (sinner and saint), this cannot be our response. Our response, instead, should look and sound like David's – "Man! You're right. I have been making some wrong choices, and my choices have been affecting everyone I come in contact with, and it's affecting me." I might even throw in there a little – "Could you help me with that? Would you pray with me right now?"

Pride, arrogance, malice, justification of our own poor behavior are not the way of the Gospel. We communicate the exact opposite of the Gospel when we respond that way. Remember, David, The King of Israel, could have had Nathan (justifiably) murdered within a millisecond, but look how he responds instead – confession – and instead of death Nathan receives – life. And all of the sudden this guilty man is "returning the favor" by communicating the Gospel back to his accuser. Wow. When we behave with this sort of humbleness and humility, oh, the things that can happen; I would much rather live this life than the one that breeds death.

So, this two-sided coin is all about accountability. How we hold others accountable and how we are held accountable. Remembering that God – the one who ultimately holds us accountable, to whom we ultimately confess, and from whom we ultimately receive forgiveness and salvation – is at the center of these encounters. Pray for the Holy Spirit's presence. Act as Christ. And use these encounters to communicate the Gospel.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, Jun 3, 15th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, 'There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.' Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, 'As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.'" 2 Samuel 12:1-5

I really want to encourage you to read this passage a few times from different perspectives before continuing. Imagine yourself as the rich man, the poor man, David, and Nathan.

I bet it's most difficult to sympathize with the rich man – as people of Christ we just can't imagine doing such a thing. Taking something from someone else that they care so much about; we would probably be doing just the opposite. Trying to locate a gift that someone really wanted in order to give it to them.

On the other hand, the poor man is probably the most easy to sympathize with – I know that you have all felt like the "unlucky" victim of some sort of "unfair" treatment at some point in your lives. Maybe you even feel this way because, like the poor man, something that you cherished was stolen from you.

Sympathizing too much with David also proves to be difficult because most of us have read this story more than once so we know that Nathan is actually talking about David. In other words, we can't authentically put ourselves in David's shoes because he is hearing the parable for the first time and we already know the outcome.

So that leaves us with Nathan, and sympathizing with Nathan is recognizing that he communicated the Gospel to David through accountability. Well…technically God used accountability to communicate the Gospel to David, but it was through the prophet Nathan. You see, one of the ways God shows us His love is through discipline which occurs because of accountability. We need someone to hold us accountable – to tell us when we are not living as Christ lived, to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit in working repentance in our hearts that we might return to right living. God held David accountable via Nathan and God holds us accountable through one another.

Now, there is more to this, but I want to let this simmer. Think of this DoP as one side of a two-sided coin. Think about how Nathan used a parable to hold David accountable. Think about the tone of voice he had to use before The King of Israel – I can't get into all the details here, but The KING of Israel was "da' man" back in those days. I mean – "DA' MAN." Nathan has no idea how David will respond, he may even lose his life when he tells David that he is the rich man. Imagine how much anxiety Nathan must have felt knowing that possible outcome. How much time in prayer do you need before you do that sort of thing? I spend days sometimes in prayer just for the anxiety of seeing certain people at the ball park.

My point in all of this is that the Gospel is communicated through appropriate accountability, which requires love and understanding and some serious time in faithful, trusting prayer asking for preparation and protection.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sat, Jun 1, "Day of Praise"

"And [the LORD] said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'" - Exodus 33:14

God tells Moses in this verse that His very presence will go with Moses and the Israelites. They will rest in the Lord because the Lord is going with them.

It's Saturday. Try to get some rest today. Pause, and enjoy God's presence so you can enjoy worshiping God and sharing fellowship with other believers tomorrow.

Find more encouraging words about "rest" at www.biblegateway.com
within the topics of "Rest, Presence, Rest In The Lord".

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, May 31, 12th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15

The climax of Joshua's speech following the Israelites' victory over the Amorites is powerful. Yet again the Gospel message is communicated to a vast amount of people in just a short moment of time. Imagine how filled with the Holy Spirit Joshua must have been at this point.

I hope you have felt the same at some point in your life; the overwhelmingly sweet taste of victory in the Lord. And how does Joshua respond? How do the people of Israel respond? They ALL dedicate their families, their homes, and all that they have to the Lord. Because, you see, that is where communicating the Gospel has to begin – home. Abraham did it; Jacob did it; Joseph and Joseph did it; Boaz did it; Joab did it; Lois and Eunice did it (2 Tim. 1); and the list goes on and on and on.

We each have a responsibility to communicate the Gospel within the walls of our own homes. You can read on your own how the above listed men went about it. Wives go about it through helping their husbands as they were created to do (Gen. 2:18); they are representatives of their husbands (1 Peter 3:1); and they should encourage, love, and defend their spouses. Parents do so by bringing their children to the Lord (Mark 10:14-15) and teaching them who their true father is (Luke 2:49), for they are to go about doing his business, too. Strangers are to be welcomed and shown hospitality, love, and respect (Gen. 18, Matt. 25), and those that oppose us are to be shown the same (Matt. 5:39). (Please don't be confused about Jesus' feelings for the Pharisees and Sadducees; he would have loved nothing more than for them to accept their redemption, too.)

We also have to be direct about communicating the Gospel to our loved ones and those that we meet; we have to say aloud, in the words of Joshua, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!" We have to tell our spouse, our children, our neighbors, and all that we meet that God has been victorious. We have to tell them that our hearts cannot be turned from Him; for He has died that we might live; and the joy that we have because of this is uncontainable. We have to tell them that our confidence and assurance in His love and promises overflows daily. Win or lose - this relationship, this game, this job, this family member, this car, this house – Jesus Christ is our victoriously reigning King forever and ever!

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, May 30, 11th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up! Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.' So Joseph got up and took the child and his mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt." - Matthew 2:13-14

I love to read stories in the Bible that involve radical and irrational behavior because I know that the participants in those stories have genuine faith in the Gospel and communicate it through their obedience.

I mean, who really gets up in the middle of the night and begins a journey across the desert because they were told do so in a dream? Maybe I'm the only one who hasn't had that sort of dream, but I have had a different sort of one, and God most certainly used it to send me a message in a radical way. "I can help you with that." That's what God, who was disguised as my Grandpa Klinger, told me one night, and it may have even been what God told Joseph that night regarding King Herod. And what was Joseph's response? It was the same response that Abraham had when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac; it was the same response the Israelites had when they left Egypt; it was the same response that Levi had when Jesus called him as a disciple; and it was the same response Christ had when his Father called him to the cross. It was obedience.

Now, sometimes obedience looks like a radical move across the globe to China, like two of my dear friends from college did one year ago, or to Tanzania, like the parents of one of my son James' classmates are preparing to do this summer (and with a toddler, no less!). But sometimes radical obedience is simply renewing your trust in the God who is sovereign over all things going on in your little ole life. That was what it was for me after my dream. A radically renewed trust in God's sovereignty, an experience that I can't explain except to say that I literally "felt" the Holy Spirit's presence. Weeping, gasping for breath, and broken, I sat in front of my husband who witnessed all this just like Mary witnessed Joseph. What did they witness? They witnessed the Gospel at work – alive, moving, changing the people who cling to it – and they were both encouraged.

Listen for God today and obey Him. In doing so, you'll be communicating the Gospel to those around you.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, May 29, 10th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristen Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. Miriam answered them, 'Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.'" Exodus 15:20-21

Miriam communicated the Gospel through song. The act of Miriam's praise and the words she speaks are both testaments to God's saving power and the joy that she feels in light of that salvation.

Read the verse again. If anyone has a question about the good news of God, Miriam has an answer. He's worthy of exaltation and praise because He has defeated your enemies; they are, after all, His enemies too.

I think about David rejoicing in 2 Samuel 6 because the Ark of the covenant had been returned to Jerusalem. (And if any of you are thinking about his nakedness let's remember yesterday's DoP and have a little grace and mercy – something the people who witnessed what happened failed to do and, therefore, missed witnessing the Gospel too.) HE WAS ELATED BY GOD'S PRESENCE! (That is what is noteworthy about that story.)

I also think of my Grandpa Klinger, the whistler, and my Grandma Volk, the hummer. I'm thankful that they whistled and hummed because of God's goodness, because of the joy felt in knowing and trusting in His promises.

I'm thankful for hymns, and choirs at churches around the world, and professional artists who have given their lives to creating (theologically accurate) music. I'm also thankful because the Gospel can be communicated in such an easy and enjoyable way.

Catch yourself humming, whistling, or singing because you have joy in Christ and in His saving power. Someone may hear you and be encouraged; they may even ask you what you're humming. That would be one of those opportunities that the Holy Spirit provides – you know, for you to share your joy and the purpose of your joy – Christ.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, May 28, 9th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristin Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering…" - Gen 4:4

Abel communicated the Gospel to Cain (whether he listened or not) through his offering; it was the first and it was the best.

And why was Abel's offering the first and the best? Because he knew his significance (or lack thereof) in comparison to God. Without God, Abel would not have existence, or the essentials of life (shelter, clothing, food, the offering itself), or Cain for that matter.

Abel knew what the tax collector in Luke 18 knew and hopefully what all of you reading this now know – we are sinners who need God's mercy – we are of no significance without Him.

Abel also knew what the poor widow in Mark 12 knew – God is deserving of an offering that consists of all that we have; we are not to withhold anything from Him. We are to trust that whatever provision He has for us today – grace, faith, money, or time – is more abundant than any offering we are making to Him.

Abel gave the first and the best; the poor widow gave the most. In both instances an offering that was observed by others was made, in both instances an offering was used as a means to communicate the good news of God to those witnessing the act.

Now, let's not take this out of biblical context and begin giving our offerings with pomp and circumstance. Let us also not limit our offerings to monetary contributions. "What other offerings might we make?" you ask. I'll answer that with a question of my own. What has God given to you that you might offer back to Him? That question is answered in Genesis 1:26 – we have been made in God's own image and, therefore, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to those parts of us that reflect Him. We can love, be kind, be merciful, be gracious, and be forgiving, and those things can be made manifest through acts inside of relationships.

Maybe these things come super easy to a lot of you in all of your relationships, but I definitely have those difficult, pesky, stomach churning relationships in my life. And it is definitely a sacrificial offering of my spirit when I encounter those people. But I'm going to trust in God and His provisions for those relationships. I'm going to trust that when I sacrificially offer up kindness, meekness, vulnerability, and love, then His good news is made known to those around me.

Whatever we do daily, let's give it our first, our best, and our most, remembering that we can't outgive God, but that we can give what He has first given to us. We can bear His image – sacrificially offering of ourselves – and in doing so communicate His good news.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, May 27, 8th Day of Pentecost, "Day of Praise" (Thank you to Kristin Ferrier who is serving "Day of Praise" while I have some vacation time with my children.)

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4

If only communicating the gospel always happened this way; how exciting would that be? High winds, earthquakes, and fire! It's really every boy's dream.

Do you suppose that more people would have a positive response to the gospel if they could experience it being communicated in such a radical way? If people could actually witness with their five senses someone receiving the Holy Spirit. Then witness that person immediately and uncontrollably begin communicating the gospel to those gathered near.

Perhaps, but all that I have is an invisible inward change of heart; the Spirit is with me without all of the bells and whistles. So how do others know that I have the Holy Spirit? How do I communicate the gospel if not through spontaneous combustion and "tongues?"

I'm sure that you're all thinking Galatians 5:22-23a right about now or maybe you're thinking of a spiritual gifts inventory. Both of those are great and we'll certainly be contemplating those lists over the next weeks (you guys are stuck with me for about 3), but have you considered accountability, listening, self-perception, or speaking in "tongues" (a language, lingo, or jargon that someone other than yourself uses daily) as a means of communicating the gospel?

I'm not suggesting anything new when I ask you to consider how the gospel is communicated in the ordinary, every day experiences of each one of us. We just have to be attuned to the opportunities that the Holy Spirit places before us. How do we know when one of these opportunities is available? Easy, we ask God to prepare us and then recognize that those opportunities occur every moment of every day with every person, but especially the one right in front of you.

One of my opportunities is right now and I'm not going to squander it, as plain and ordinary and out of my control as it might be. I'm going to ask you to go and read the entire 47 verses of Acts 2 because it's written for Pentecost people and that's who we are; we have received the Holy Spirit and must now go about living that way. Seizing opportunities to speak in "tongues" just as the earliest of believers did to glorify God through sharing the Gospel.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, May 25, "Day of Praise"

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Is it possible to thank our moms and our dads and our true friends and all the positively influential people in our lives too much? I don't think so.

Thank you, Veterans! And thank you to all families who have a loved one who died in service to our great nation! We are grateful!

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, May 24, "Day of Praise"

"The Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.'" - 1 Samuel 2:30b

With truth that is rooted in today's Bible verse, the quote "Honor is better than honors" is attributed to President Abraham Lincoln.

Keeping the true meaning of Memorial Day and Memorial Day Weekend in view, let us also remember how Abraham Lincoln concluded his second inaugural address on Saturday, March 4, 1865:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Let's praise God for our Veterans, and let's thank a Veteran for his/her service.

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, May 24, "Day of Praise"

"The Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.'" - 1 Samuel 2:30b

With truth that is rooted in today's Bible verse, the quote "Honor is better than honors" is attributed to President Abraham Lincoln.

Keeping the true meaning of Memorial Day and Memorial Day Weekend in view, let us also remember how Abraham Lincoln concluded his second inaugural address on Saturday, March 4, 1865:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Let's praise God for our Veterans, and let's thank a Veteran for his/her service.

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Thu, May 23, "Day of Praise"

"I have great confidence in you: I take great pride in you..." - 2 Corinthians 7:4

As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, my heart has already turned to God in thanks for all who have given their lives sacrificially in order that we might have the freedoms we enjoy in this great land. Think about the Veterans you know who were willing to pay the greatest price of their life as they served in our nation's peace-keeping forces.

Here's a couple quotes from one of our nation's greatest Veterans, General Douglas MacArthur: "By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact, but I am prouder to be a father." And "O, Lord...build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past."

Thank a Veteran today. Thank the family of a Veteran who died for us. Remember Veterans in your prayers each day. Praise and thank God for the freedoms we enjoy as we live, which are freedoms that were won for us by so many who have gone before us in death.

"I have great confidence in you: I take great pride in you..." - 2 Corinthians 7:4

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, May 22, "Day of Praise"

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." - 1 Corinthians 10:24

When I was a kid, I played baseball. My dad taught me the same mental strategy for hitting the baseball that he used. Very simply, he said, "Have a goal to get one hit" which in baseball means "swing your bat to hit the ball so you can get on base." He would then say, "after you get one hit, change your goal to trying to get one more hit."

It was a simple mental strategy to break down a long game into small pieces. "Get a hit!" Or "get one hit at a time!"

That same baseball strategy, only slightly revised, would work well with today's Bible verse. God might say to us not "get a hit" but instead "be a hit."

Instead of "get one hit at a time!", it would be "be a hit, one person at a time." It's a simple mental strategy to break down a long day into small pieces because when God says, "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" (1 Corinthians 10:24), what God is saying is, "do something nice for someone."

Putting two and two together, if you "do something nice for someone" in this dog eat dog world, you'll "be a big hit."

Can you imagine if every person took this "do something nice for someone" and "be a big hit" approach to life?

We'd all win!

Not a baseball game, but, more importantly, the bigger game called Life!

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." - 1 Corinthians 10:24

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, May 21, "Day of Praise"

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

As opposed to what?

I bet you're thinking unbelIef. I bet you're thinking that today's verse is opposed to unbelIef.

Actually, today's verse is opposed to a quiet, silent, heady, intellectual "faith." Let me explain.

When Jesus did miracles and wonders, he did not stand there and look at things. Instead, he confessed with his mouth that he was Lord. He said, "Lazarus, come out of the tomb." He said, "Little girl, arise from the dead." He said, "Calm, be still" to the wind and the waves. He said, "Your sins are forgiven" to the paralytic. He was constantly saying, "I am Lord."

And we must too.

We have situations, and we worry about them. Or we fuss about them. Or we complain about them.

No! Instead, today's verse calls us to do like Jesus did and speak the truth that "Jesus is Lord" into a situation. Do you have a loved one who's sick? Open your mouth and declare the truth, "Jesus is Lord over this!" Do you have an exam that you're worried about? Open your mouth and declare the truth, "Jesus is Lord over this!" Do you have a matter at work or in a relationship that is burdensome? Open your mouth and declare the truth, "Jesus is Lord over this!"

This is what it means to live in the power of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit who, God himself says, works through the spoken word (Matt. 18, Romans 10, Eph. 6). Don't just have a quiet, silent "faith." Be bold! Speak the truth of Jesus' Lordship into situations. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord..., you will be saved!" (Romans 10:9)

And today's verse also says, "If you... believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) Again, this is not opposed to unbelief. It's opposed to a heady, intellectual "faith."

Don't just think that something is true. But look inside your heart. Do you have a loved one who's sick? Look inside your heart; do you believe deep inside your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead? If so, then open your mouth and declare the truth, "God, bring new life to my loved one too!"

Do you have an exam that you're worried about? Look inside your heart; do you believe deep inside your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead? If so, then open your mouth and declare the truth, "God, bring new life to my mind, and give me sharpness in this exam!"

Do you have a matter at work or in a relationship that is burdensome? Look inside your heart; do you believe deep inside your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead? If so, then open your mouth and declare the truth, "God, bring new life to this matter and this relationship!"

I saw God work his "raise-from-the-dead-Lordship" at least three major times yesterday. And that's not counting the "minor" times.

C'mon, people! Be God's People! Walk in the truth and power of God's Spirit and His Word. Don't settle for sickness and worry and brokenness. Don't settle for a quiet, silent, heady, intellectual "faith." Instead, speak truth boldly, and believe from deep inside your heart. For God's word is true and cuts deep to the heart of every matter. For Jesus is indeed Lord, and God did indeed raise him from the dead!

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!" - Romans 10:9

Praaaaaaaaaise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, May 20, "Day of Praise"

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today is Monday. Thank you, Jesus!

Today, there's work to be done. Thank you, Jesus!

Today, there will be challenges where we will need God's help. Thank you, Jesus!

Thank you, Jesus! Today, like everyday, will be a day where those challenges will lead me to thank God for people who inspired me to press on. With thanks to www.buzzle.com/articles/inspirational-quotes-for-difficult-times.html, some inspirational quotes follow:

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." - Seneca

"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward." - Abraham Lincoln

"If you are going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." - Joseph Kennedy

"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." - Joseph Campbell

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." - Japanese proverb

"After all, tomorrow is another day!" - Margaret Mitchell

"I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. Its because of them I'm doing it myself." - Albert Einstein

"Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests." - Epictetus

"Energy and persistence conquers all things." - Benjamin Franklin

"Loss makes artists of us all as we weave new patterns in the fabric of our lives." - Greta W. Crosby

"Out of difficulties grow miracles." - Jean de La Bruyère

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail." - Nelson Mandela

"Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul." - Ezra Taft Benson

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb

"He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity." - William Samuel Johnson

"The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity." - Seneca

"By the darkness, stars are revealed." - Evette Carter

"My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength." - Michael Jordan

"In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive." - Lee Iacocca

"Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." - Bern Williams

"...But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

"Affliction is a good man's shining time." - Edward Young

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." - Louisa May Alcott

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

"Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up." - Sylvester Stallone

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders." - Jewish Proverb

"Only the man who is not hungry says the coconut has a hard shell." - Ethiopian Proverb

"Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied." - George Washington Carver

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." - Bern Williams

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway

"Never, never, never, never ever give up!" - Winston Churchill

"If the wind will not serve, take to the oars." - Latin Proverb

"Everything is possible for him who believes." - Holy Bible (King James Version)

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional." - Roger Crawford

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, May 18, 49th Day of Easter, Pentecost Eve, "Day of Praise"

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." - Romans 10:4

I love the song "10,000 Reasons". Here's the youtube link to this awesome song that we regularly sing at our 5 p.m. worship service -- http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

And today's verse gives us one of the top reasons out of 10,000 why we sing to God -- "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." - Romans 10:4

Apart from Christ, the law is never ending because the law points out our sins and our shortcomings. With our sins and shortcomings in full view, we need the law to curb our sin and keep sin in check. Furthermore, the law just tells us what must be done, but it can't do anything for us. Therefore, the law creates a never-ending cycle that points out our sin but can't help us end our sin.

Christ, on the other hand, is the end of the law. This doesn't mean that we get a blank check to sin. To the contrary, the holiness and perfect love of Christ stand in stark contrast to and therefore reveal our sin and our guilt. However, Christ, unlike the law, is alive and personal, so Christ can live in us and work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, doing for us what we can't do for ourselves, namely, cover our sin and pay for our sin and give us a clean slate and new beginnings.

This is why Christ is the end of the law -- because he does what the law does and more. He points out our sin, and he deals with it on our behalf.

But remember today's verse, Christ does this "to everyone who believes." If you don't believe in Jesus Christ, you're on your own, and the law will never end for you. But when you surrender to the Holy Spirit, which God sends to call us to faith, then Jesus comes faithfully and dwells in you so that you might have peace with God and a new life, characterized by humility, thankfulness, and the love of Christ flowing through you.

It's a lot to think about on a Saturday, but it's a better alternative to remaining under the law!!!

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." - Romans 10:4

Happy Saturday!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, May 17, 48th Day of Easter, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said,] "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14,16

Everybody loves to shine! I mean, don't we all want our 15 minutes of fame?

In one of today's verses, Jesus says that we're the light of the world. We get to shine! I Love it! And so do you!

And yet, what I want to know is this: how did we come to be the light of the world when, in John 8:12, Jesus says that he himself is the light of the world?

Simple, Jesus, who is the light of the world, stooped down to shine his light into our darkness so that we ourselves could shine.

So, make the application. Do you ever just get fed up with the darkness in this world? Well, then stoop down and shine a little light of Jesus into that darkness, just like Jesus did for us.

And when you do? The world will indeed become a brighter place.

So have a great day. May it be filled with the light of God's presence, the light of God's glory, and an abundance of blessing for you and each one of us.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, May 16, 47th Day of Easter, "Day of Praise"

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." - Romans 12:9

When I was a kid, I liked the voice and singing of Johnny Mathis. His voice calmed me. The tune of his song "Chances" was particularly calming to me.

I know this Johnny Mathis memory seems kind of random, but, well, there you have it. And the connection is kind of random too, in that the simple phrase "chances are" comes up a lot in the song "Chances".

Soooooo, what's that got to do with today's Bible verse?

Well, "chances are" you're going to encounter someone today who annoys you. Call on the name of the Lord to be your strength, and "Let love be genuine (Romans 12:9)."

And "chances are" you're going to encounter something today that is not of God. It may be downright evil. God's word says to not make friends with evil. Don't become comfortable with it. God says, "Abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9)." The reason for this is that you can see more clearly how to deal wisely with evil when you haven't made friends with it. Maybe you're supposed to rebuke it or pray for it or some other counsel of God's word. But the best ministry to evil, God says, starts by abhorring evil.

And finally, "chances are" you're going to encounter something today that is of God. It's good. It may not look attractive in the eyes of the world, but it's good. God says, "Hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9)." Perhaps, it will be as we preached on Sunday from Revelation 12:17 where we at least want to "hold fast to" the good that is faith in Jesus Christ. Indeed, come what may, keep the faith friends; keep the faith.

So, have a great day, and remember that, though the "chances are" you won't think about some Johnny Mathis song, the "chances are" you will have an opportunity to "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." (Romans 12:9) And may God bless you as you do, according to his word.

Praise God!




Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, May 15, 46th Day of Easter, "Day of Praise"

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way" - Psalm 119:103-104

Five-hour energy drink?

I prefer God's Word. It sweetens the mouth and sharpens the mind and keeps us on the paths of that which is right and true.

May God bless your day, and I pray that you can worship someplace with others. God is always eager to bless you through his word.

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, May 15, 46th Day of Easter, "Day of Praise"

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way" - Psalm 119:103-104

Five-hour energy drink?

I prefer God's Word. It sweetens the mouth and sharpens the mind and keeps us on the paths of that which is right and true.

May God bless your day, and I pray that you can worship someplace with others. God is always eager to bless you through his word.

Praise God!



Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, May 14, 45th Day of Easter, "Day of Praise"

"And we know that God works through all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

"Hey, Coach! How's the team gonna be this year?"

"Aaah, Chris, we ain't got no guards."

But when our high school basketball coach, Walter "Buck" Van Huss was on the job, you knew that good things were going to happen. That year in particular, the 1980-81 season, Coach Van Huss's Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett (DB) High School team went 36-1. Their only loss was by a couple points in the state semifinals to the eventual champion, Nashville Pearl, on a night when the goal seemed the size of a pea, as shot after shot from right under the goal just wouldn't go into the bucket.

Coach Van Huss had a few stars through the years like Skip Brown who was an All-American at Wake Forest and Mark Elliott who starred at Vanderbilt and Bruce Tranbarger who shone at Ole Miss and Lee Garber who played at Wake Forest. But Buck Van Huss was mostly known as a little man physically who knew how to coach kids up athletically and help them to live life large in every good and wholesome way.

Before he came to DB in 1967, he coached for 14 seasons at little Hampton High School and won a state championship in 1960 when all the high schools, no matter their size, were playing for one trophy. Books have been written as to how coach made the boys practice in Army boots so that they felt lighter on their feet in the games. When Coach Van Huss was on the job, good things were on the way, even if he had unconventional ways of bringing them about.

Coach was a great guy, and I remember him taking time to chat when he was in season and I was in football or baseball off-season workouts. We talked about the race riots that shut down the high school in the late '60's in his first years at DB and about his efforts to use basketball as a way of bringing unity to a school and community and nation that were torn apart by the color of people's skin.

When Coach died on Saturday, July 2, 1990 during open heart surgery, we all were shocked. But the little big man was celebrated in newspapers around the country from The Chicago Tribune to The Orlando Sentinel, as they recognized his record of 1,021-313 which, at the time, was only six victories shy of setting a national record for most victories by a high school basketball coach.

But the greatest gift of Coach Van Huss to all of us who knew him for the 71 years God gave him was not his military service in WWII or being named coach of the year twelve times or receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the National Basketball Foundation or serving on the City Council of neighboring Elizabethton where he resided or receiving the Distinguished Community Service Award from the "Kingsport Times-News" or even those 1,021 wins.

Coach's greatest gift to us was that if you knew he was on the job, then good things were going to happen, which was a big reminder, from a little man, that the same holds true for God: since God is always on the job, then we can always look for good things to happen.

"And we know that God works through all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson