In a day and age when personal comfort has become the aim and measure for what we are willing to do, it could be that we’re not experiencing Jesus because we’re not willing to be where He is.

Think of all the hard places we see Jesus in Scripture — In the middle of a frightening storm on the Sea of Galilee, among the grieving at the grave of Lazarus, near a leper begging for healing, at a well in the heat of the day talking with a woman caught in adultery, among tax collectors and sinners, teaching people in a desolate place where no food was available, in the dirty manger, the Cross, the empty tomb. All these gritty, tough, uncertain, UNCOMFORTABLE places.

Obviously it’s not about visiting these geographic locations. It’s about self denial, which is a total departure from the current cultural narrative that says do what makes you feel most at ease, most comfortable. We won’t experience Jesus there.

Different pursuits, mean a different path. Forgiving others is hard. Helping the poor is costly. We don’t always feel like worshipping. Loving people through hardships is exhausting. Praying sometimes feels futile. Reading the Word can be confusing. Repentance is humbling. These things and countless others are gonna make us uncomfortable. But they’re so worth it because that’s where we experience Jesus.

And why should we expect any different? Jesus said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Matthew 16:24

#LookUp

There’s no telling how many times a day this little man says “Dad” 😂 It’s nonstop. “Hey Dad… Um Dad… Look Dad….Help me Dad… C’mon Dad…”

Casey (my wife) says it’s because I spoil him 🤷🏻‍♂️😆 and that may be true, but it’s also because he knows:

1. He needs my help. 🤲🏼

2. I’ll listen to him. 👂🏼

3. I love him. ❤️

4. I’m gonna do everything I can to take care of him. 💪🏼

Question for you and I, how often does our heavenly Father hear from us? The Bible says pray non-stop (1Thess 5:16). And we know:

1. We need his help 🤲🏼

2. He’ll listen to us 👂🏼

3. He loves us ❤️

4. He’s fully capable of taking care for us 💪🏼

📖 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? – Matthew 6:26

Now would be a great time to #LookUp and say “Hey dad…” 🙏🏼 😌

📸: sunset in the treehouse 🌅

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… Isaiah 9:6

Our adopted son Luka was born Dec 1, 2019. He was so tiny. Just 4lbs when we brought him home from the hospital. Celebrating Christ’s birth that year, while holding a frail little baby was a unique experience. It’s amazing when you think about it — The Savior of the world came to us as a baby!

For Christmas in 2019 I had some pictures of Luka’s first few days printed and framed and gave them to Casey as a gift. Sounds weird now, but it felt risky to do at the time, because as a foster baby we didn’t know how long he’d be with us. Could be 2 more days or 2 more months. We just didn’t know. Those tangible pictures represented the strong feelings of attachment we had but were afraid to show. We excited, joyful, and loved him very much. We couldn’t help but feel those things. When Casey opened the pictures on Christmas morning, she and I looked at each other and we both teared up. Our “big kids” were looking at us like we were weird, that’s nothing new 😂

Here’s the thing, babies bring us (all of us) joy. Did you know a “feel-good” hormone called Oxytocin is released in you when you hold a baby? Being close to a baby literally makes you happy! Now, I can’t explain all of that physiologically 😅 but from an emotional standpoint I can tell you that in December of 2019 with baby Luka, we were experiencing the joy of NEW LIFE. By embracing him we were embracing hope, change, possibility and promise! Baby Luka’s lungs weren’t even fully developed but he was teaching US to breathe again.

Jesus came as a baby. Small, fragile and vulnerable. There are many reasons for that, but at least one reason is to point out the fact that HE BRINGS NEW LIFE. And if you and I take hold of Him we’re embracing on a much, much larger scale — HOPE, CHANGE, POSSIBILITY and a whole new world of PROMISE. Over and over Jesus teaches us to breath again. He makes us born again! ✝️

At Christmas in 2019 we had no idea baby Luka would/could be a part of our forever family, but he is. He’s actually (asleep) right beside me as I type this. We’re pretty much inseparable 😊 And in an even more fulfilling way, that baby born in a manger in Bethlehem 2000 years ago is ALWAYS beside me and within me. We are inseparable. And I’m a part of His forever family for all eternity.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). – Matthew 1:23

Merry Christmas!

🎄 From the last scene of the movie Home Alone. The previously misunderstood ”Old Man Marley” embraces his granddaughter while waiving to his 8 year old next door neighbor, Kevin, who looks on in joy from the window of his home.

The night before, Kevin had urged Mr Marley to take the initiative and reconcile with his adult son, the father of the girl he’s hugging in the picture. Mr Marley had taken that advice, and as a result the family was reconciled, together again at Christmas.

Broken relationships require someone taking the initiative to be mended. At Christmas we remember that God, in Jesus Christ, took the initiative for us to be reconciled to Him. God has come to us, have you come to him?

Could you describe your relationship with God to be close like the one pictured here? That’s what God wants, closeness. Christmas reminds us that God became a man and lived, died and resurrected so that we never have to be distant from Him again. Not on his end, anyway. He’s taken the initiative. Have you welcomed, and by faith, received Him? Do you know and love Him? #GodWithUs

Holidays are hard for people who are dealing with loss. Wanted to share a lesson on dealing with grief from our 2 year old.

Luka’s holding a picture with Stormi in it. Stormi is our foster baby that was recently reunited with her momma after spending a year with us. The framed photo was in our Christmas decorations and Casey set it up in a prominent place over the weekend. A couple different times now, Luka has brought it over to me, pointed to Stormi, and with a sweet and sincere voice asked “Daddy do you miss this girl? You miss Stormi? Do you love her?” And I say “Yes I do buddy, very much. Do you miss and love Stormi?” He nods his head yes, and puts the picture back in its place.

Y’all see what he’s doing? He’s grieving. He misses her and wants to make sure she’s not forgotten. I bet lots of folks can relate to Luka in this way. But a lot of folks may not wanna bring it up for fear they’ll bring the mood down at the Holidays. But it needs to be said. It’s a natural and healthy way to deal with loss. Doesn’t mean that you’re sad about everything, just means that you miss and value the person you’ve lost. Like Luka, you don’t want them to be forgotten.

I wrote this, hoping that maybe Luka’s innocent but effective method of grieving might give someone else permission to share what’s on their heart and mind with others. “I miss ______. Do you miss and love him/her?”

One day, we’ll see all of life from God’s perspective, and things will make sense. But right now, from our vantage point, life is a mixed bag of happys and crappys. It’s important that we get outside of our own head and process what’s heavy on our hearts with others. A 2 year old inherently gets that. Hope we can too.

Y’all keep looking up!

Men’s Bible study this morning—We had some serious iron sharpening iron going on with a heartfelt personal testimony of how Christ helped overcome addiction. That helped some other guys feel comfortable to share their struggles and what the Lord is doing in their life.

I love these guys and am thankful they’re willing to be up early for the Word and for one another.

Here’s some Bible references we looked at:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:7-8

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… – Galatians 5:22-23

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. – Proverbs 23:20-21

Back to school time may turn our hearts toward our kids more than any other season. Hoping this is timely — here’s 10 things (among others) that children need from us with applicable Bible references.

1. PEACE – Proverbs 17:1

2. TIME – Ephesians 5:15-17

3. OPTIMISM – Philippians 2:14

4. SPACE – Ephesians 6:4

5. TRUTH – 2 Timothy 3:14-17

6. EXAMPLE – 1 Corinthians 11:1

7. ESTEEM – Proverbs 22:6

8. ACCEPTANCE – Proverbs 17:17

9. AFFECTION – Romans 12:10

10. DISCIPLINE – Proverbs 23:13

We went through these 10 in detail last Sunday, but hopefully these words alone can serve as helpful reminders. As a dad and friend to many of you I’m praying that we as parents raise our kids for His glory. God is the best Father. And ultimately our kids are his, I just pray that we be faithful and steward well what He’s blessed and entrusted us with.

Also, here’s 4 important passages on the subject of godly parenting : Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 127:3-5, Psalm 128:1-3, Ephesians 6:1-4

📖 8 Things the Bible says about itself:

1. IT’S INSPIRED. All Scripture is God-breathed… – 2Timothy 3:16

2. IT’S TRUE. The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. – Psalm 12:6

3. IT’S AUTHORITATIVE. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – James 1:22

4. IT’S CLEAR. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. – Psalm 119:130

5. IT’S SUFFICIENT. All Scripture is…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

6. IT’S POWERFUL. The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword… – Hebrews 4:12

7. IT’S CHRIST-CENTERED. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me… – Jesus, John 5:39

8. IT’S PRECIOUS. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. – Psalm 119:72

H/T Matt Smethurst @ The Gospel Coalition 1/20

I know Psalm 23 by heart and reference it and recite to myself all the time. The fact that the Lord is my Shepherd is a huge help in all kinds of circumstances.

🫣 Scared? Psalm 23 📖

🥺 Worried? Psalm 23 📖

😵‍💫 Can’t sleep? Psalm 23 📖

🤨 Getting slandered? Psalm 23 📖

😢 Preaching a funeral? Psalm 23 📖

🤔 Need reassurance in life? Psalm 23 📖

This evening I was researching the last part of Ps 23:2 ”He leads me beside still waters” and I came across something kinda cool — a lengthy, in-depth audible meditation on Psalm 23. I think the idea is that it allows you to focus and enter into the rest that God has for us in the Psalm so you can rest your mind, your soul and your body.

So, I don’t know what you have going on in your life right now but I bet Psalm 23 can help! Here’s the YouTube link

⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8oSbFlTpwiE

From our #PointMan Bible study this am…

⏱ 30 mins / 15 in Bible📖 / 15 praying🙏🏼
3️⃣ 3 X’s a week
📍 at particular place
⌚️at specific time
🗓 for 6 weeks

🏃‍♂️Medical research shows that if we consistently engage in cardiovascular activity for just 30 minutes 3 X’s a week it makes a dramatic difference in our overall health. 90 minutes out of 7 days can keep you from having to go under the knife for heart surgery 😬 Seems like a no brainer.

Now think about it in terms of spiritual health. If we would set aside at least three times a week of focused on interrupted time with God, 15 minutes in his Word and 15 minutes in prayer, imagine the difference it would make!

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Are you engaged in regular, intentional spiritual training? Would you commit to 6 weeks of 30 mins, 3 X’s a week, 15 mins in the word and 15 mins in prayer? If so you’ll need to pick a time and a place and make it a priority. If it’s not something you’re already doing it’ll be life-changing! And if you already do it YOU KNOW it’s life-changing!

For your reading, just do a chapter or a few vs’s a day for 15 mins. Here’s a few of my go to ch’s/readings:

Psalm 23
Psalm 1
Mathew 6:5-15
Luke 15:11-32
Romans 3:21-31
Romans 8:1-11
Romans 8:12-30
Romans 8:31-39
Psalm 91
Psalm 42
Psalm 51
Psalm 127
Psalm 128
Psalm 119:1-8
Exodus 20:1-21
John 3
John 9
John 11
John 14
John 15
Galatians 2
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 2
Philippians 4

Well, that’s more than enough for 6 weeks 3 X’s a week 😅 🤷🏻‍♂️ These are just a few that came to mind for me. A quick google search will reveal tons of Bible reading plans. The main thing is DO IT. Make it a priority with a time and place and I guarantee you won’t regret it. 👊🏼

For 15 mins in prayer? Pray about what you just read! God has just spoken to you by His Word, speak back to Him. Also here’s a helpful/memorable model for prayer:

A.C.T.S.
•Adoration
•Confession
•Thanksgiving
•Supplication (requests)

Hope someone finds this helpful! Y’all keep looking up!