Congratulations! You've made it to another Christmas season!

If you have had moments this year wondering if you'd make it to this point, know you're in good company.

For so many of us, it's been a doozy of a year. There have been ups and downs, curves and bumps, and perhaps an accident or two (or ten) on the 2024 speedway. Perhaps you feel like the roller coaster of life will never end. And to end the year in true human fashion, we may even feel stressed and overwhelmed at some point this holiday season.

If that's you, here are three ways to hold onto hope this Christmas.

Step back to see God's faithfulness.

The good news is that in the middle of managing our whack-a-mole lives and a life that is happening faster than we can control, God is faithful to always be in control.

Take some time this Christmas season to step back and out of your busyness and reflect on where God has been faithful to you this year. Could you write it down? Name it. God's faithfulness is yours. It has been His grace-filled Christmas gift to you all year long.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Lean forward into God's promises.

You might feel a little beat down these days. That's not a surprise. The world is a mean place, and life is brutally out of our control. All of this can leave us feeling empty, ineffective, and worthless.

As we celebrate God's coming to earth as a baby, we lean forward into the cradle to see God's promises in a real and perhaps different way. The Apostle Paul says that no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

As we sing the carols, hear the Christmas story, and light the candles this year, lean forward into the face of Jesus, who promises everything God has for you. You are totally forgiven. You are completely valued. You are unconditionally loved. You are incredibly gifted. You are deeply called. You are purposefully sent. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are always with God because His Spirit is always with you.

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior from the meanness of the world and the brutality of life out of our control. . . He is Christ the Lord.

Through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we have so many more promises. Lean into Jesus' cradle this Christmas, and you'll see all the promises God has for you.

Look beyond toward the world to come.

Are you feeling worn out? You are not alone. The world is a mess. Life can really stink. And there is pain and suffering everywhere.

The great news is that Jesus says that He is coming soon (Revelation 22:12)... and not as a baby born wrapped in swaddling cloths.

This is a season when we look forward to the world to come. It's a world where Jesus promises that every tear will be wiped from our eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. There will be a whole new world (Revelation 21:4).

Look beyond this messy world, stinky life, and ever-present pain and suffering. There will soon be an end when Jesus comes again.

I am praying that one of these ways you can hold onto hope this Christmas has resonated with you.

One sure way to lose hope is to celebrate Christmas as another holiday. Christmases will come and go. The decorations will be taken down. The family and friends will go home. The gifts will break or be forgotten. And you can't take any of it with you when you die. That's no hope at all.

Thankfully, Christmas is not just another holiday - it's the reality that God has come into the world. Joy to the world, the Lord is indeed here with us!

I hope you've enjoyed our fall series of blog articles. I'm taking a rest from writing and will pick it up again in January with fresh content focused on how God has uniquely designed and sent us to live out our callings where we live, work, learn, and play. I can't wait!

In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas season. See you back here on January 12.

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Reading what Jesus says about the end of the world can be a rough experience - especially if you've never really considered what Matthew records him saying in Matthew 24.

After watching the movie Armageddon, "The End" became real for me. I was young and probably got too caught up in the loss of romance. Regardless, it left me with a lot of questions.

Over the years, I have sought answers about the end times. As a pastor, I have studied different theologies around what scripture says about what will happen next.

What I have discovered is that while there is a diversity of perspectives, scripturally speaking, there are at least three guarantees about the end of the world—and only one way to prepare for it.

Guarantee 1: There will be an end.

They say that two things are certain: death and taxes.

I'll leave taxes up to economists. But I can say that Jesus' return at the end of human time is unavoidable.

In 1964, Robert Lamont published in Christianity Today that the return of Christ is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament and that this teaching occupies 1 in every 25 verses from Matthew to Revelation. Others have said that for every verse about His birth, there are eight about his return. In the New Testament, one of every 30 verses talks about Jesus coming back.

However you count, you cannot deny that there will be an end of this life on earth - either through our human death or Jesus' return.

Guarantee 2: You can't control it.

Matthew records Jesus saying nobody except God the Father knows when Jesus is returning. In other words, we cannot control when it happens.

Throughout history, there have been predictions of dates, events, and locations of when, where, and how Jesus will return. Jesus is clear; nobody will know. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 describes Jesus' return coming like a thief in the night.

It will be unexpected and you cannot control when, where, or how it will happen.

Guarantee 3: You will not be able to take anything with you.

Human logic tells us that we entered the world with nothing, and the same is true when we depart from it.

When reading the story of Job in the Bible, we will discover when life falls apart, Job says, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised". (Job 1:21)

Thousands of years later, Paul tells Timothy that since we brought nothing into the world, we can take nothing out of it. (1 Timothy 6:7).

We don't bring anything with us at the beginning and cannot take anything with us at the end.

So, how do we prepare for the end?

Jesus says to "keep watch and be ready" (Matthew 25:13).

Jesus explains that keeping watch is like having oil in your lamp. Biblically, oil often represents the presence and work of the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

Jesus has already filled us with His Holy Spirit. It is already alive in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit always helps us see Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46) and give glory to God the Father (John 12:27).

And how do we know that we’re filled with the Spirit?

We faithfully love God and love people by serving our neighbors like Jesus until “the end”.

What do you think? Send me an email, or let's schedule a time to talk.

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My conversations tend to revolve around three main topics: kids, family, and work. These are the pillars of my personal experiences, and they naturally dominate my discussions.

However, when I step back and listen to others, I encounter different conversation: housing and food insecurity, human rights, politics, climate change, substance abuse, clean water, and global health. The list goes on and there isn't enough time to have a meaningful conversation about every topic that comes up.

Despite this, the act of listening and talking is fundamental to human communication. It's how we connect, understand, and share our experiences and ideas.

As followers of Jesus, we might wonder what we have to contribute to these conversations. The answer is, quite a lot, but perhaps not in the way one might expect.

Jesus taught that He only did what He saw His Father doing. This means that even Jesus didn’t introduce new ideas but rather echoed what God had already spoken.

This is reassuring for us because it means we don't need to come up with new solutions or perspectives on our own. God has already provided guidance on these matters.

The challenge becomes whether we are familiar with what God has said. Have we taken the time to listen to His Word? It's true that without God's Word, the content of our conversations become limited to opinions and best practices.

And while opinions and best practices aren't bad, they're incomplete.

Opinions and best practices are often fleeting and subject to change. Compare that with God's Word which is eternal and unchanging. It provides a solid foundation for our conversations and actions.

Our true voice and the most meaningful contributions we can make come from aligning our words with God's eternal truths... His Word - and that's why without God's Word, we have little of lasting value to say.

What do you think? Send me an email or let's find a time to meet up.

Why are you a Christian?

I could say that a Christian because my parents are practicing Christians, meaning I grew up and was enculturated in the Christian lifestyle. I can also say that after an up-and-down journey of searching for identity, meaning, and purpose, I chose to adopt the ways of Jesus as my own. It was a twisty, wind-y path, for sure.

The truth is, there are many reasons I'm a Christian today. One of those reasons is that the way of Jesus is the only way of life I know, which allows for, is okay with, and leads me (and every human being) through joy and suffering.

I tend to welcome joy with open arms. Not so much with suffering. Author, historian, and scholar Kate Bowler says, "Suffering is a slow burn, and it never really ends". In other words, suffering is part of the human experience. You cannot escape suffering.

And still, every other spiritual and religious system cannot hold suffering for what it is: part of life.

To be clear, suffering stinks... and I'm not the best at living with it. I tend to want answers and reasons.

We are told that suffering must be avoided to experience enlightenment and become centered. Or, suffering must be eliminated to achieve existential peace. I've recently read that suffering must be denied to reach a place of self-actualization and a vision board of your ideal life.

Jesus' way is different. After all, Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life. He then says humanity can only experience a whole and complete life (the joys and sufferings) through Him. A whole and complete life is one of both joy and suffering.

The scriptures testify that along with the joy and giggles, Jesus doesn't deny suffering. Instead, He considers it part of what makes Him (and us) human. Jesus doesn't eliminate suffering; He receives it. Jesus doesn't avoid suffering; He walks right into betrayal, beatings, bullying, and death.

For me, if God's best plan is to send Jesus to suffer and die on a cross, lose his entire family, take on the sin of the entire world, and believe that there is no better way than to walk through death itself… if that way is good enough for Jesus… It's good enough for me, too.

Only in and through Jesus' way can our lived experiences have the space to fully hold the stink of suffering.

So, how do I live like Jesus when it comes to suffering?

Most self-help approaches encourage engaging in activities to redirect your thoughts. I do them. But, honestly, they're quick respites or ways of coping with suffering - none of them lead me through suffering.

So, I take a cue from the someone who has lived through suffering: Jesus.

Jesus experienced happiness, anger, grief, loss, excitement, sadness, and anxiety. I remind myself to be present with what I am feeling. Those feelings are genuine and will return.

I will then invite Jesus to sit with me in those feelings. Jesus understands, and I am promised that the Holy Spirit will connect me back to God through wordless groans when I am too weak to know what to pray for (Romans 8:26).

I'm far from perfect when it comes to living with suffering.

At the same time, I can say that more often than not, God shows and reminds me that His miracle isn't that the suffering is avoided, eliminated, or denied. . . it is that Jesus is still here with me in it and walking me through it.

And that's (one of the reasons) why I'm a Christian.
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Why are you a Christian?

Email me, leave a comment, or let's grab time to catch up.

I want to control how long I live.

I go to the doctor as a preventative measure to catch little things before they become big things. I eat (reasonably) well and exercise. My financial planner is looking at us living well into our 90s.

These are all good things that support stewarding the body and life and the gifts God has given me to glorify Him and bless others.

This past month, two influential men in my life unexpectedly died. One of them was kind of expected. The other was completely unexpected.

​Then, last week, a brother pastor only a few years older than me died.

Clearly, I cannot control how long I will live.

This past week, I have been thinking a lot about “the afterlife”—heaven. So, I spent some extra devotion time reading God’s Word about heaven. Here are some thoughts I’m treasuring about heaven today.

Heaven is real. I have unwavering confidence in a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).

Heaven is filled with peace and goodness. Unlike the ominous sea symbolizing chaos and evil, heaven has a life-giving river, symbolizing peace and goodness (Revelation 22:1-5).

There is a reunion with loved ones. The new city (Jerusalem) represents God’s faithful people being gathered together in the ultimate place of peace (Revelation 21)

There is no more sorrow. There will be no pain, death, or negative emotions in heaven—only joy and completeness (Revelation 21:5).

There is so much more, too.

In the meantime, my faith leads me to echo the words of the psalmist: "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done." (Psalm 118:17)

What do you think heaven is like? Email me, or let’s catch up over tea or coffee.

The word of the day is "freedom."

Every election cycle seems to bring the fringes of freedom to the forefront. On one hand, we hear that we are losing our freedoms. Moments later, we discover new dimensions of our freedom. And then we hear stories about how freedom has been used and abused for personal gain and not to love and serve others.

I think we can all agree that to have freedom is to have power. And as Jesus' followers, we have the power to forgive.

Yes, forgiveness is a human choice. It is also the responsibility of Jesus' followers.

Here is why.

Pastor/Author Tim Keller shares that the modern definition of freedom is having complete human autonomy, and that's not a new idea. In John 8, people tell Jesus they are not slaves to anyone.

Truth… we do have the freedom to forgive. It's our choice… unless Jesus has a different definition of freedom (which He does).

Jesus says that freedom is not autonomy but rather doing things that free people get to do.

Jesus says that you only get free by obeying His teaching. If you are really my disciples, you will obey my teaching. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. And, if Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life - this is how we know the only wholly free person who has ever lived - Jesus Christ, by freely choosing to do what He says to do.

In a world that defines freedom as complete individualism, that sounds outrageous. But that's how freedom has always worked. Human beings have always been influenced, motivated, or driven (or enslaved) by someone or something.

For Jesus followers, we are free because we are loved and forgiven apart from what we do. Through Jesus, we are loved and forgiven by His free grace, forgiveness, and love. Period.

Why? So we can be free to give away the same grace, forgiveness, and love to people who are undeserving of it (that would be all of us).

Do you see how choosing to forgive others generously is a matter of our freedom to live more like Jesus? And if you have ever forgiven someone who knew they didn't deserve it, you know how powerful that can be for you and the recipient.

Which means there is also power in unforgiveness. But not in the way you may think.

We may assume that we are free to withhold forgiveness (which we are). By doing so, we unleash power over someone else for the wrong they have done to us. But the reality is that unforgiveness really unleashes power against ourselves. Instead of being influenced, motivated, or driven (or enslaved) by Jesus, we turn deeper into ourselves.

Unforgiveness is like a cancer that suffocates our soul. Our faith weakens because unforgiveness is another way we place ourselves on God's throne—the only one who can forgive sins. We look more and more to ourselves to justify or adjudicate the wrong or injustice we have experienced. And as if the cross was not enough, we choose to crucify ourselves (or others) for the sin that has already been forgiven.

The power of unforgiveness is real and powerful. It destroys us from the inside out.

The truth is that the only way out of unforgiveness is to see God as a loving parent who wants you—His forgiven child—home with Him again.

Have you experienced the power of forgiveness? If so, please drop me a note—I'd love to hear all about it.

If you are struggling with unforgiveness, know that you are not alone. Email me, and let's walk through it together.

Years ago, my friend Ross texted me, "I don't need a church to be a Christian."

I used to believe that, too.

As a young Christian, I focused on a personal relationship with Jesus, singing "Jesus and Me" songs and immersing myself in a hyper-individualistic culture. But I found myself spiritually stagnant and isolated.

Despite my efforts—reading the Bible, praying, and listening to worship music—I felt alone and frustrated.

My mentor asked when I last attended church. Realizing I needed community, I decided to give it a try. I found a church where I could worship, grow, and discover that faith isn't meant to be lived alone. It's a place where I belong, where we all belong.

Here are two reasons you need the church (and one reason your church needs you).

We need each other to keep growing.
God cares about our growth, and the church helps us focus on Jesus. Weekly confession, communion, and hearing God's Word remind us we're not alone. The church is there to support us, to encourage us to keep going, even when life is messy.

God's mission is a team effort.
The church embodies Jesus' presence and power, reaching out to others in love.
Last week, an older woman's son was working on rebuilding her deck. Last weekend, he got injured and couldn't complete it. A small group of guys heard about it and knocked it out on Saturday morning. This is the incredible power of the body of Jesus, the church, and it's God's heart and mission.
It's impossible to fulfill God's mission alone. Jesus said people would know God by our love for one another. The church is essential for participating in this mission.

Finally, here's why your church needs you.
Your presence, voice, and smile are not just important, they are vital. You might be the encouragement someone else needs. The church is a gift from God, and you are a precious part of it, helping us grow and reminding us we're loved beyond our understanding. Let's journey together, supporting each other as "the church", people united by faith in Jesus, together.

The keys have changed.

The house I grew up in required a skeleton key to access some of the rooms. Recently, we changed our traditional key locks to an electronic keypad. Our church's exterior doors require keycard access. I now need the hotel's app to access a room. One of my sons told me that he can install a fingerprint sensor on his bedroom door so that only he and his brother can enter.

Indeed, the keys have changed!

Suppose we use the keys metaphor to give people access to ministry skills, authority, and opportunities. In that case, it might sound something like this…

The church we grew up in needed competent and skilled specialists to volunteer, coordinate, and lead programs. Over time, volunteers needed to go to work, or their seasons of life changed. Today, staff are hired to lead ministry programs. And when there is a ministry opportunity, we hire more staff, expect an unequipped volunteer to do the bulk of the work, or say "no" because those who "hold the keys" are already at their capacity.

That's not a knock on staff or volunteers—it's just a reminder that the keys to ministry have changed.
Each of us knows someone who is wanting to lead something. The challenge is that if those who desire to lead do not receive an opportunity, are not equipped, or do not receive authority to lead among the people of God, they will find a way to do it elsewhere.

That's a perfect thing in a world that needs godly leaders everywhere. At the same time, we need godly leaders to equip God's people for ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

It's not either-or… it's both-and.

Today, we need more humble, teachable, and hungry leaders to share the keys of life and ministry where they live, work, learn, and play. This means increasing awareness of opportunities for people of all ages to lead (not just sub-in, but truly lead). It also means growing in our abilities to trust and empower more people (and perhaps even ourselves) with ministry skills, authority, and opportunities to lead forward.

Kara Powell from Fuller Youth Institute and her team take the metaphor even further by saying:

• Keyless leaders are full of potential and passion and do not know where they can lead.
  

• Key-hoarding leaders are skilled at what they do, while most assume they are "paid to do the work."


• Key-loaning leaders invite others to lead in their absence and assume leadership upon their return. This is very common among paid ministry staff
  

• ​Keychain leaders share opportunities to learn and experience leadership together. They delegate authority while remaining accountable.

What would that look like for you?

• My friend Dave talks about having an "ICNU" conversation. Who do you see wanting to lead? Don't keep that idea to yourself… share it with them. You can begin by saying, "I see in you an excitement to lead. Would you be willing to tell me more about that?" Then, listen and say, "Thanks, God for doing your work right in front of my eyes.""

 

• Let us know who you see as potential ministry leaders. Email me or any of our team, and let's begin the conversation. Your recommendation matters.

 

• Do you feel called to lead where you live, work, learn, and play in a greater way? I'd love to explore that and encourage you to be the light and love of Jesus in the cracks and crevices of our world. Please drop me a note at HERE, and let's discuss it. 

What could that look like for us as a church?

• We want to continue investing in ministry interns. Over the last four years, we've learned from and mentored young people like Mady, Serena, Kendall, Trevor, Juniper, Deborah, and Cary. Your continued generosity to our Leadership Development Fund helps us equip leaders to serve in the church and world.

Vision is always caught more than taught, so I'd love to engage with and listen to what excites you about what "Champion Leaders of All Ages" means to you. Please click HERE to email me, or let's connect over coffee or tea.

Look for a new series of blogs throughout October focusing on living a Spirit-Filled Life. Until then… Cheers and blessings!

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