Compare Not.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Have you ever noticed this play out in your own life? I know I have. Whether it’s a peer’s great accomplishment at school, an amazing worship moment led by a fellow musician, or another wife who seems to have it all together. One way or another, this sinful nuisance tries to creep into my life telling me what I have been given is not enough. Sadly, I often allow it. I truly believe comparison is one of the most effective tools Satan uses to draw us away from God. Why? Because it works. We begin to question why we haven’t been given more, causing us to lose focus on what He has given us.

In my time with Jesus this week, I read through Matthew 25:14-30. In this passage, Jesus gives us a parable in which three servants are each entrusted with an amount of money while their master is away. If you haven’t read this passage in awhile, I encourage you to do so. Three things stand out to me while I read it.

1) We are all entrusted with gifts.
2) We are responsible for what we have been given.
3) It’s not how much we have been given, but what we do with it that matters to our Father.

My prayer this week is that God continue to teach me to use what I have been entrusted, to glorify and please Him- not me. Don’t let comparison be the thief of your joy this week.

In Him,
Lindsey

Signed, sealed and delivered.

Yesterday I was studying about Ephesians 1 and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers. It says, '13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory'. A 'seal' was a mark of ownership and protection. When a king would send an official letter or announcement out he would seal the letter by melting wax and then pressing his signet ring into the wax and marking it with his unique seal. Anyone who saw the seal instantly knew that this was a letter that belonged to the king and that no one but it's recipient dared to open it. A 'pledge' was a downpayment or 'earnest money' that ensured a 'seller' that the 'buyer' was shortly to complete the transaction on an item. This word, 'pledge', also could mean an engagement ring which was given to a lady ensuring that a wedding was coming soon.

As our 'seal' the Holy Spirit reminds us that we belong to God, our Father. In Romans 8:16 it says, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." The Holy Spirit's presence in our life is also that promise and reassurance from God that we have an inheritance in heaven and will be partakers of eternal life. During this life on earth, The Spirit helps us by reminding of us of God's promises towards us and by giving us peace in place of anxiety, joy in place of depression, and love in place of indifference. These gifts are a foretaste of an eternity with God that awaits us as believers. One day we will fully live in a kingdom that is run on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. All the selfishness, hatred, jealousy, neglect, anxiety, sickness, hurts, sorrows, and cruelty that are standard fare in this world will be no more. In the meantime let's walk in the Spirit and continue to let Him be our guide as we navigate through this life on earth.

in Christ,

Brian

UNT Choir Concert or NCSI?

Tonight our son was on a live webcast of a choir concert at North Texas. I wasn't aware of the concert or that it was being webcast. Communication with a college freshman can be a bit erratic.

I had intended to watch NCSI with Jane. As I browsed Facebook on my phone, I saw there was a webcast of the concert. Thanks to Josh Smith and family, we were already tuned in when our son called 5 mins before the concert was to begin. I quickly told him we were watching online.

Faced with the choice of NCSI or our son's first college choral concert, we chose the choir concert. Why? Because, we love our son. We got to see and hear him, just like we were there. It made our night!!!


When sisters Mary and Martha were faced with the choice of time with Jesus or working for Jesus. Mary chose better. It was a simple choice for her.

Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary


38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lords feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, Lord, dont you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!
41 Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

Tonight we chose what is better. It was an easy choice. In our walk with Jesus, every time we chose Him over some other distraction, we chose well. And it will not be taken away from us.

Joe

Baptism: Death and Life.

On Sunday, I had the sweet privilege of baptizing my first-born daughter, Emily Grace Dunn, who is now 7 years old. It was definitely one of those unforgetable moments as a parent. In Romans 6:4-5 it says, "4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

I had several people take a moment to write a piece of advice for Emily that she can carry with her on her Christian walk. Many of the comments challenged her to continue to seek God as she grows older and to remember that His love for her is eternal and unchanging. As I was reflecting on the verse from Romans above the words 'death' and 'life' really jumped out to me. Baptism is a metaphor that depicts both 'death' and 'life'. When Emily surrendered her life to Jesus, her eternal destiny shifted in that moment from being eternally separated from God in judgment to becoming God's adopted daughter and inheriting eternal life with Him. There is also a death and life that will be a part of her journey here on earth. Even as God's child now she will still experience the reality of a broken world around her (betrayal, heart-break, disappointment, falling into temptation, trials, and hurts). My prayer for her is that as she walks the difficult road of this life she will cling to Jesus in a real and personal way and that He will be the true love of her life. I've included the song called 'untitled hymn' by Chris Rice, below, as I think it says what I feel in a beautiful and simple way.

May you cling to Jesus today,

Brian

A Miracle.

Some of you may know, Jane and I are going to be grandparents. Our daughter Katy-Ruth and her husband Tyler are expecting a daughter of their own in early February. This weekend our entire family gathered in Denton for a football game at the new Stadium to watch the Mean Green of North Texas take on the Indiana Hoosiers. As we were enjoying the pre game festivities, Katy-Ruth took my hand and placed it on her stomach and said, " feel..... Melody is dancing." Sure enough, I got to feel our granddaughter do the two step on the palm of my hand.

A miracle. Life. Make no mistake about it. While little Melody is our granddaughter, she is God's creation and masterpiece. And while we can't wait to meet and hold Melody in early February, our Father God already knows her completely and loves her in a way we can only hope to imitate. And by His Grace we will.


Psalms 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mothers womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.


Each one of us........a miracle.

Look around, they're everywhere.

Joe

In Step With His Spirit.

I was meeting with a friend yesterday and we were discussing the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We discussed how in the beginning of the book of Acts the 120 followers of Jesus were praying together and waiting in the upper room for the coming of the Holy Spirit. God's plan to carry out the birthing and building of the church was entirely dependent on the Holy Spirit or the Helper that Jesus said would come. In Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The verb for 'be filled' is literally translated 'be being filled.' In other words we are to continually be filled throughout our day because we leak. In Galatians 5:25 it says, 'If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.'

So how do we know if we are being filled and led by Holy Spirit in our lives? I think a good clue that we are walking in the Spirit is when God's ways feel natural to us. Love is God's way. When our speech, thoughts and actions are drenched in godly love then we are walking in step with the spirit. Love is an outlook that puts the needs of others above our own needs and has an eye to see needs and meet them with joy and an excitement. When we are operating out of the flesh then we become dominated by selfishness and 'me, me, me' kind of thinking. This selfishness is destructive and wrecks relationships. So just like you will continually take breaths today to stay alive, don't forget to continualy depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you in the way of love in order that you might fully participate in the work of God's kingdom building today!

In Christ,

Brian

'Til I Rest In You.

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.” Psalm 62:1

This weekend Hailey and I will be doing a duet based on this very verse. In the midst of a crazy time in my life, this verse reminds me of the One who can provide rest. On my own, the best I can do is a few minutes laying down with an ever increasing to-do list running through my mind. But when I rest in Him- whether that be spending time in the Word, singing out praises to Him, or simply listening- I find true rest. He is the only One who can lift all of our burdens, allowing us to sit in His presence…uninterrupted. Below are the lyrics to Restless by Audrey Assad; read them and find time to rest in your Father.

You dwell in the songs that we are singing
Rising to the Heavens
Rising to Your heart
Our praises filling up the spaces
In between our frailty and everything You are
You are the keeper of my heart

And I'm restless
I’m restless
'Til I rest in You

Oh speak now for my soul is listening
Say that You have saved me
Whisper in the dark
'Cause I know You’re more than my salvation
Without You I am hopeless
Tell me who You are
You are the keeper of my heart

Still my heart
Hold me close
Let me hear a still small voice
Let it grow
Let it rise
Into a shout
Into a cry

And I'm restless
I’m restless
'Til I rest in You


In Him,
Lindsey

Real, Comfortable (Jeans) Me.

I'm not necessarily endorsing wrangler jeans. What I am wanting to know is how do we become the kind of people that others can be comfortable and real with? 'Only way I know is we have to be real and comfortable with ourselves. So how does that happen?

I believe that only God's love in our lives is powerful enough to allow us to be real. What does real look like? In Romans 12:9-15 is a great description of a what a real follower of Jesus is supposed to look like.

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

13 Share with the Lords people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Now that's the kind of friend I want to have and be.

A similar sense of community with real people is described in Acts 2:46-47

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.


Notice what happened. The Lord added to their number daily. Of course He did.

Sincere hearts, (real)
praising God, enjoying people, (comfortable).

Who wouldn't want to be with that kind of group?
Free to Be Me,

Joe

Leftovers.

Yesterday morning I was listening to the radio and a man called in who was talking about his kids. His kids are grown now and he mentioned that the thing he misses most is tucking them in bed and kissing them goodnight. He concluded that he can't wait to have grandkids so that he can spoil them rotten. For whatever reason that statement really hit me. Out of all the experiences and things that he did over those parenting years it was those moments at night in his kid's bedrooms that he misses most. I think it hit me because I often give the leftovers of my energy and attention to those moments with my kids at night and try and just get through it and arrive on the couch where I can finally rest and have some 'me' time. But it is those moments where I really can impact them, show them I care and converse with them about the things that are in their heart.

You know alot of people, especially in the church, when asked what is most important to them will say, "God, my spouse and my kids." However it is these three 'priorities' to whom we often serve leftovers. We give God a quick prayer over dinner or fall asleep praying to Him at night. We give our spouse a quick nod as we pass each other in the hallway. We shuttle our kids around and get them in bed without much meaningful interaction. I was reminded of a verse in Malachi 1 where God is rebuking the priests for not bringing Him their best offerings. It says in verse 8, '8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty' So my action point is to try harder to give my best to the God and people who I say are most important to me.

In Christ,

Brian

Purity leads to Intimacy.

As Steve taught on Intimacy, I kept thinking of the parallels in our worship of God.

Jesus said in the sermon on the mount that,

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8

In the Hebrew culture, they believed that no one could see God face to face and live.

Moses asked God if he could see His face, and God said that He would only be allowed to see Him pass by. But he wasn't allowed to see His face.

Yet Jesus said that the pure in heart, would see God.

Jesus gives us that new heart, full of His righteousness and His purity.

Hebrews 10:22 says, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

God will purify our hearts, through Christ, restoring the intimacy that was lost in the Garden of Eden.


So let's join together in David's prayer,

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you. Psalms 51:10-13

It's the prayer of confession that opens the door for David and you and me to receive all the blessings that flow from an intimate relationship with God.

It is an overwhelming thought to know that God fully knows me and also fully loves me.

Sounds like Amazing Grace.

Joe

Fear Not

Recently, I heard someone say that the Bible makes reference to “do not fear” 365 times, one for each day of the year. Now, I did not have time to count myself but I did look it up online and found that there is a huge debate on this! I have to say, I would love it if God gave us a verse on fear for every day of the year. I believe fear is one of the biggest things we struggle with so I would not put it past Him to emphasize it that much. However, shouldn’t just one “fear not” from the Creator of you and me be enough to carry us? So regardless of how many times it is referenced- whether it is exactly 365 or not- be grateful that He says it. Thank Him that He is on our side. After all, “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Here are a few of my favorite “fear” verses to help you through today…

“For I hold you by your right hand- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:13

“Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

In Him,
Lindsey

The Beauty of Redemption.

One of the concepts that appears in the worship songs we sing is the concept of 'redemption'. This is a rich word that had great meaning to the ancient world. Redemption was a special provision that God had built into the laws of His people in the Old Testament. If a person went through difficulties and hardships to the point where they became impoverished and were unable to support themselves anymore they would sell their property, inheritance and themselves to another person and live as their slave. The rule was that this person's relatives could decide to redeem them by purchasing their freedom back from their owner, restoring them to their former state. One of the great redemption stories in the Old Testament is the redemption of Ruth by Boaz.

It says in Ephesians 1:7-8, '7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.' All of us apart from Jesus are slaves to sin. On our own we have become bankrupt when it comes to righteousness or being good enough for a holy God. As a result we become the property of the ruler of this world, Satan, and our future and inheritance is one of eternal separation from God. But that's NOT the end of the story. We have a Redeemer and His name is Jesus. He has paid our ransom by laying His very life down at the cross to set us free. What an awesome change of events for us who have said 'Yes' to Jesus! We go from being a slave of sin awaiting a future of eternal separation from God to being a redeemed child of God awaiting a glorious future with Him in His eternal kingdom.

Praising my Redeemer!

Brian

Time. What ya Gonna Do With It?

We all get a daily allotment of time. What we choose to do with it, not only says a lot about us, it determines who we become.

We are what we do daily.

We form habits...... and our habits form us.

I don't want to waste time. I believe we were designed to be productive.

Part of being wise means, we get the fact that, we have a limited amount of time on this planet.

Psalms 90:12 says, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

So what should you and I do each day?

I love Andy Stanley's the best question ever. He asks,

"In light of my past experience, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"

That question is a great guide when asking, what am I gonna do every day? What will my routine look like?

I'm gonna do a little research this week. I'm gonna try to find out a little about the daily routines of some people that I find inspiring.

Monday, I'll let you know what I find out.

Does your routine reflect who you want to become?

Perhaps a small daily correction, could make a monumental difference over a lifetime.

So let's take it one day at a time.

I can do that,

Joe

Victory in Jesus.

Today I was reading in Revelation 12. In this chapter we are reminded that we have an enemy, named Satan. In this chapter he is referenced as 'the one who deceives the whole world' and the 'accuser of the brethren.' He wages war constantly with us in the battlefield of our minds. Do you ever struggle with thoughts of worthlessness and guilt? Do you ever get deceived and start placing more value on things or people than on your heavenly Father? Do you ever start believing what other people say about you and what the commercials say you need more than what Your heavenly Father thinks about you and what He says you need? Satan is working around the clock to come against us, and, as it says in Rev 12:17, he 'went off to make war with the rest of her offspring (God's children), who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.'

Revelation 12 also speaks of the defense we have against this enemy. In verse 11 it says, 'And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.' When our lives are truly hidden in Christ, the enemy has no authority over us. This verse was written during a time of extreme persecution in the church where many people were being killed for following Jesus. The 'word of their testimony' often was their last word before their life was taken. Here we see this 'till death do us part' relationship between the believer and Jesus. Jesus did His part by offering His very life for us ('the blood of the lamb') and then out of awe and gratitude we do our part of joyfully following Him, even if it may cost us our earthly life. It's this undying commitment between Jesus and us that Satan has no power against.

May you unashamedly walk in the victory of Jesus today!

Brian

Living Hope.

Thinking about the day, as I watch the Cowboys and the Jets. 2:00 minutes left in the game.

We've watched multiple stories on 9/11. News stories on the wildfires. And of course, we've watched the weather forecast.

I keep thinking about 1 Peter 1:3

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Hope.

Living Hope.

We are born again into a living hope.

A living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What springs from the living hope............faith and love!!!

Colossians 1:5 says the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel

So the hope stored up for you and me in heaven is our Source for faith and love.

Living Hope in Heaven, the Source of faith and love.

Sounds just like our Lord Jesus to me,

Together in Hope,

Joe

God Is With Us.

“Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me.” - George W. Bush, Presidential address, September 11, 2001

This week has been a very emotional week. Between many areas of our state being devastated by fires and the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks coming up, it’s hard not to feel a sense of sorrow and helplessness. Yet, in the midst of it I am reminded of something I saw a week ago; a small rainbow. After the great flood, God gave the rainbow as a covenant that He would never again cover the earth in water. Given the condition Texas is in, my initial thought was that I wished the rainbow had come after a large storm. Nevertheless, I quickly became grateful for this visible, tangible reminder that God is faithful to His promises. We have not been abandoned, God hears our prayers, and He is with us in times of desperation. So, as we continue to pray for those affected by the wildfires and as we prepare to remember one of the most difficult days in our nation’s history, cling to our Father. Like the rainbow was for me, find that simple reminder that God is with us and He is faithful.

In Him,

Lindsey

A Mighty Fortress.

My heart has felt heavy this week as so many people here in our community and in Bastrop have been driven from their homes and land as out of control wildfires have been burning for several days. So many have seen their home and possesions just go up in smoke and they are left with nothing. It says in Psalm 91:1-2 that "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God and I am trusting Him." As we go through a week like this, and as we come up on the ten year anniversary of Sept 11, it is comforting to know that even if our earthly dwelling is destroyed and our possessions are lost that we truly have a refuge in God. As Steve talked about on Sunday, our lives are built on a solid foundation that cannot me moved. Our hope is in God and His kingdom is unshakeable.

One of the songs we will be singing together this coming Sunday is 'A Mighty Fortress.' The chorus says 'A mighty fortress is our God a sacred refuge is Your name. Your kingdom is unshakeable. With You forever we will reign.' This week has been a good reminder that my earthly things will come and go but my God is my eternal refuge and shelter. May God bring us all comfort in that truth this week.

in Christ,

Brian

Your God, not the God.

Relationship.

Exodus 6:7
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

The Creator of the universe tells Moses, that the Hebrews will be His own people and He says and I will be "your" God. Your means a personal relationship with God. My people. A relationship.

How close a relationship? Jesus takes it even further. He say we should talk to God personally and that we should call him Father. He includes us in His family and says "OUR Father". Unbelievable!!!!

Paul takes it even further and uses an even more intimate term for Father and uses the word "Abba" which is more like calling God.... Daddy. That's a "you can run into my arms kind of Dad".

Galatians 4:6
6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father.

Now that is really personal.

It's about relationship. It always has been.

Joe

Beauty For Ashes.

When we first moved into our house over four years ago one of my favorite bushes we planted was our bottle brush bushes. Each spring they would fill our back yard with vivid red blooms. During one of our recent winter freezes we failed to cover our bottle brush plants and they all died. This past spring I was definitely missing their place in the parade of colors. Yesterday morning as I was out watering our garden and some of our trees I noticed the shriveled up remains of one of our bottle brush bushes. What really grabbed my attention though was a new healthy green bottle brush plant now growing out of the dried up lifeless branches of the old one. I was reminded of Isaiah 61:3 that says 'To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.'

Whenever we are in a season where our situation seems devoid of life and we feel hopeless, we need to remember that God is in the business of bringing life and beauty out of death and chaos. It says in Romans 8:11 'And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.' So if you are taking inventory today of the garden of your life and there are places in you that feel dead or depressed or hopeless, then remember that promise from Romans. Think about how dreary and lonely and tragic and dark that day was when the Son of God breathed His last breath on a Roman cross. And yet, resurrection power was on its way three days later that would chage everything. Hang on and hope for His resurrection power to flood into your life today!

in Christ,

Brian

Dance Like Nobody's Watching.

it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time to dance, and tonight was a time to dance. Jane and I attended the wedding of the daughter of some dear friends. A lot of our close friends were there. And although a little rusty, we were drawn out onto the dance floor by the classic dance tunes of the 50's, 60's and 70's.
As the DJ played Kool and the Gang, we began to dance.

"Celebration
Let's all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration
We gonna celebrate and have a good time

It's time to come together
It's up to you, what's your pleasure

Everyone around the world
Come on!

Yahoo! It's a celebration"

As we were dancing, and laughing someone got out their phone. Threatening to post on Facebook. Thankfully no one videoed. But I am always amused when people seem surprised to see the "pastors" dancing. Of course we're dancing. It's a time to celebrate. It would be wrong not to dance.

I think of David, the biblical hero of every worship pastor. How did David express his delight in returning the ark to Jerusalem?

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 2 Samuel 6:14

Sometimes we should dance with all our might.

....... like nobody's watching,

Joe

Run With Me.

When is the last time you encouraged a fellow brother/sister in Christ? Numerous times in the Bible we are told to love one another, encourage one another, and lift each other up. I believe we are told this so many times because it is crucial. Of course, our strength comes from God, but I also believe one role of the Church is to surround a brother/sister, thank them for the work they have already done, and encourage them to keep going.

Joe has used the analogy of running with a partner before, and I think it is one of the best analogies to use. It always seems to be more enjoyable (and easier) when you have that person to run with you and cheer you on. So I challenge you to encourage your fellow Christians today. Congratulate them on entering the race and ask if there is any load they need help carrying. God may be waiting on you to be the one who inspires them to keep going.

In Him,

Lindsey



“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Romans 1:12

One on One.

Yesterday I was reminded of the power of one on one interaction with a person. My son Joshua is 5 and a kindergartner this year. Around noon my wife, Whitney, called me and informed me that Joshua was under the weather and that I needed to come pick him up from school. So I went and picked him up and we both immediately concluded that the best way to start nursing him back to health was through a grilled cheese and chocolate milk from Sonic. So as we were driving around for a while, the little guy in the backseat unloads a multitude of questions where we cover the trinity, the fall of man, the new heaven and the new earth, the tree of life, how you become a Christian, the battle of Armegeddon, spiritual warfare and various other topics.

I realized that by giving Joshua some undivided attention for a few minutes I was able to really get into all of these amazing thoughts and questions that he was curious about. All of these questions had been there but, in a group setting, never had a chance to come out. I thought about a couple of applications based on this time together. As a parent I need to plan regular times with my son and daughter where I just spend time with them alone. In marriage you need alone times with your spouse where just the two of you can visit together without interruption. Lastly, we need alone times with God where we can honesty pour out our hearts to Him and unload our burdens. We get a glimpse of Jesus' life in Mark 1:35 where it says, 'And in the morning while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.' So let's prioritize alone times with our most important relationships: our heavenly Father, our spouse and our kids and let's discover a deeper level of intimacy and depth.

In Christ,

Brian