Marital Minefields

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance.”  John Lennon

  For decades the Afghani people have lived through war and instability. One of the biggest threats they now face are landmines, left from either the Soviet invasion or the fight against the Taliban. In 2017 alone, more than 2,000 Afghans were killed or injured by landmines. That’s about five times the number of civilians killed in 2012. The aid group, Halo Trust, estimates there are up to 640,000 landmines laid in Afghanistan since 1979. Although most recorded battlefields have been cleared, Afghanistan still remains one of the world’s most mined countries.

  For some that’s a picture of their marriage. He or she feels like they’re continually attempting to navigate marital minefields. Often it shows in that they’re anxious, nervous and unsure when their next step might be innocently stepping on a “landmine.” Like those in Afghanistan, what is perversely abnormal frequently becomes their marital normal. It’s wrong, it’s sin and not how God designed for marriage to be. Here are some landmines that many couples have to negotiate through.

  Fear of explosive anger. All of us know someone who has a sinful anger problem. Hopefully, it’s not someone you’re married to. Explosive rage has no place in marriage. It creates an atmosphere of insecurity and anxiety. There can be no intimacy if there is anxiety. Often the explosion is over something insignificant, like running late or forgetting to put gas in the car. Angry rants are driven by pride and selfishness: “How could you be so stupid! I never do things like that!” Because explosive attacks get a response, they easily devolve into a vile habit.

  Fear of an inquisition. A healthy marriage is dependent on two mature adults with integrity. Some spouses are anxious about doing nearly anything for fear that it will be the “wrong” decision. If you can’t trust your spouse, there are serious issues. But treating your spouse as if you can’t trust them is just as bad, if not worse. Sometimes the inquisition is a shell game. The spouse putting their mate in the “hot seat” uses it as a cover for their own sinful behavior. For example, they’ll grill their partner: Where have you been? What were you doing? Why didn’t you answer your phone? Why were you late? It’s an attempt to keep their partner on edge and on the defensive, so they’re never questioned…because they know that what they’re doing is wrong.  

  Often the inquisition is over finances or time management. If you can’t trust your spouse to wisely use money or manage their time as an adult, those are symptoms of bigger issues. Too often it’s not a lack of trust, it’s intimidation, and the one spouse is chronically anxious about making any decisions for fear of stepping on a landmine.

  Fear of the machine gun fighter. In a war movie, there may be an unknown machine gun nest where soldiers are gunned down but never saw it coming. Opposites tend to attract in marriage and that’s healthy. It helps compensate for our inabilities and weaknesses. Frequently, one spouse is a processor while the other is a quick thinker. Both are good…until there’s a fight. And while the processor is still looking for ammo, the other partner has already blown them away. They’re a machine gun fighter and their spouse never knew what hit them. It’s embarrassing and humiliating for them. Often resentment is buried for fear of sharing their true feelings. They’re walking through a minefield, nervous about a misstep.

  Fear of the passive-aggressive spouse. Pity the poor person married to the passive-aggressive. They innocently attempt to problem-solve only to find they’ve stepped on a landmine. Passive-aggressive spouses have an uncanny ability to make you feel you’re continually wrong, but you’re not quite sure how. They’re masters of second guessing and manipulation. Sometimes it’s by obstructionism, committing to cooperate but undermining and sabotaging, all the while pointing fingers of accusation and claiming innocence. They make excuses yet blame their spouse for holding them accountable. The outcome is confusion and chaos. By sending mixed messages, pouting or playing the victim, their mate is uncertain whether they’re own perceptions are real or whether they truly are in the wrong.

  William Sloan Coffin said, “I am sure the Bible is right: the opposite of love, is not hate but fear.” Or, as 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” It’s impossible to have a healthy marriage that’s permeated by fear. God has designed us so that our greatest needs are for love and acceptance. Fear causes us to close ourselves off and eradicates true intimacy. So, how can we dispose of these landmines?

  Point them out. Acknowledge the 800 lb. gorilla in the room. Get it out in the open. Lovingly share with your spouse, “This makes me feel afraid.”  

  Take personal responsibility. Most couples think things will get better once their spouse changes. Focus instead on how you can change. If you change, they have to change.

  Give it all to God and trust Him. Your needs, your hurts, your desire to change your spouse—instead of hiding them, turn them over to the Lord. Tell Him, “Lord, I’m afraid of _________. I give that fear to you.”

  Get outside help. I’m continually amazed at those who maintain their cars better than their marriages. If your car starts making a funny noise, or the warning lights started coming on, you’d have it serviced. If there are chronic issues in your marriage, do something. Yes, first pray and ask God to work. God though gave you a brain and expects you to use it.

  Francis de Sales was right, “Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall us except sin.” Be wise, be godly and refuse to live in a marital minefield.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

The Priority of the 1st Day

“In order to say YES to your priorities,

you have to be willing to say NO to something else.”

The one word that characterizes most of us is “busy.” When we’re busy, we look at our schedules and begin to cut items we feel are unnecessary.

  Imagine this conversation with a friend. They look exhausted. You’re concerned and begin to probe. They admit that because they’re so busy, they decided to cut out sleep once a week, so they can accomplish more. How would you respond? Or, how about this conversation with a friend? They look emaciated. You’re concerned and begin to probe. They admit that because they’re so busy, they’ve decided to cut out eating so they can accomplish more. How would you respond? One more…you’re having lunch with a friend. They complain about everything. They’re petty and short with the server. They admit that they’re angry and depressed. You’re concerned and begin to probe. They confess that because they’re so busy, they’ve decided to cut out attending church so they can accomplish more.

  So, how would you respond? While most would be very concerned about the first two, even most Christians would overlook the vital importance of the third one. We realize the importance of prioritizing the physical, yet often ignore the spiritual. But the spiritual has far greater consequences. It not only affects this life, but it also has ramifications for eternity. When Jesus was tempted by Satan to prioritize physical needs over spiritual ones, He responded, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

  What are some reasons why we miss attending a worship service?

  Work. Sometimes we have no choice. We have mandatory overtime or a rotating work schedule that requires us to work on Sunday. The early church faced that. Many of them were slaves. Essentially, they worked 24/7. It’s why they’d worship either early in the morning or late at night. While sometimes there’s no negotiation, many employers will work it out so you can attend church, especially if you’re a good employee.

  Sports. Many parents fret that their child will miss out, so they sign them up for seemingly endless sports leagues. With the growing secularization of culture, more practices and games are scheduled for Sunday morning. We must realize what our goal is. Many Christian parents are satisfied with good kids, but you can be a good atheist. Parents with a biblical worldview aim for a godly child. The difference can be an eternal one.

  Sickness. If you’re sick, please do stay home. Yet frequently, if one member of the family is sick, the whole family stays home. We wouldn’t do that with work or school. So, why do that with worship?

  Tired. As more have to work six days, Sunday becomes a day to sleep in. Then, many stay up late watching TV or surfing the Net. We need rest, yet instead of crashing on Sunday morning, schedule an afternoon nap. You’ll rest better on a spiritually full stomach and be better prepared for the week.

  So, why should Christians make Sunday worship a priority?

  It shows that we love God. Attending the worship service is a public expression of our love for God. It shows our priorities to family and friends. It publicly identifies what “team” we’re on. It’s our one time in the week where we can together bring our awesome God offerings of praise, thanks, and honor that are pleasing to Him. As the psalmist wrote, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you” (Ps. 22:22). Many are motivated to attend church for how it will bless them. The Bible teaches that the primary purpose of the corporate gathering is to bring “service” to the Lord as a blessing to Him.

  It shows that we love God’s family. Gathering together shows that we value our spiritual family. Scripture is clear that a right relationship with God requires both a vertical and horizontal alignment. God didn’t save us alone. We have a Forever Family. It’s impossible to love God and refuse to love the other believers. As we come together, we have opportunities to be a blessing, to share love with our brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray for and encourage them. Keeping ourselves in loving harmony with other believers helps keep us humble before the Lord.

  Faithfully attending worship follows Jesus’ example. Weekly worship was Jesus’ life pattern and priority. If anyone could have made excuses for not going to worship, it was Jesus. He could have said, “I don’t need organized religion to worship; I can have a relationship with God on My own.” And it was true. Jesus had a perfect relationship with His Father. Yet, if Jesus knew that meeting together once a week for worship with God’s people was a spiritual necessity for Him, isn’t it necessary for us?

  Worshiping together helps protect us spiritually. Why do we often see Christians getting picked off by Satan? It’s because many have neglected this simple principle that you can’t survive as a Christian alone. It’s a spiritually dangerous world. Commitment to a church family is important. Being under the teaching of God’s Word increases our faith and builds us up spiritually. We need to be fed spiritually so that we can have victory over temptation. There’s multiplied strength in the combined faith of God's people. Greater spiritual gains can be realized through corporate prayer and worship. D.L. Moody wisely said, “Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.”  

  Even worshiping when we’re on vacation helps us to see how big God’s Kingdom is. When you’re on vacation, look for a Bible-believing church to worship with. It highlights how big God’s family is, what we have in common – our shared faith. Christianity is so much bigger than our church.

  I’ll always remember worshiping at a church in Minnesota. The Lord touched my heart and tears streamed down my face. Another time was seeing the love of fellow believers for each other and us in Taiwan. While we didn’t understand Chinese, we all spoke the same language of Christ’s love. As you worship with other believers in another setting, you’re understanding of God grows and it increases your love for His Church.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Men to Mimic

“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived

and let me watch him do it.” Clarence Budington Kelland

Where are the role models? Where does a boy or young man turn to learn to be a man today? Where do you look to learn what it means to be a husband, father or even a grandfather? Who’s your example on what it means to be an employee, neighbor, friend or Christian?

  We need role models. Every man needs to ask himself: Who is my role model and why? There are many potential “role models” out there. Yet, who is truly worthy of emulating? For the most part, not sports stars, movie stars or business leaders. A cursory examination of their lives quickly reveals that though they seem to have it all, they lack that which has true significance. Too many have a long history of broken relationships and lack character. Young men often will idolize their father. With the breakdown of the home, that can be a recipe for future disaster. Do they want to be like a father who failed at being a husband and father? So, where can we turn?

  God’s Word commands the local church to choose godly men as leaders, (1 Timothy 3:1-13). It’s noteworthy that what the world values is not on God’s list for what the church is to value. Essentially, it’s an anti-world checklist. At Grace we’re very blessed with godly men who serve as Deacons and as our Seniors Citizens Pastor. They’re not perfect. They, too, are sinners saved by grace, yet they love the Lord and seek to follow Him. So, if you’re looking for a role model, you don’t have to look very far.

  Travis Brinks. You don’t have to be around Travis long to discover that Travis deeply loves two people – his wife, Amy, and his daughter, Eva. Though a young man, Travis has maturity beyond his years. Serious, yet he doesn’t take life too seriously. He’s one of the most even tempered men that I’ve ever met. He also has a deeply tender side and loves people. He has a sharp mind, yet Travis has something much greater than intellect. He has wisdom. He’s willing to step out on faith and take risks, even with people, yet is never foolhardy. Compassion is one of his greatest strengths.

  Bruce Ranke. I’ve met few leaders over the years who wear the coat of humility as well as Bruce. It’d embarrass him for someone to suggest he’s humble, but he is. Continually, self-abasing yet gifted and talented. Bruce has a very rare gift in our sports obsessed culture – he’s an athlete and avid competitor, yet at the end of the day, he knows that “it’s only a game.” He has a dry wit that sneaks up on you, yet doesn’t take life too seriously. Maybe it’s from growing up on a farm, I’m not sure. Bruce won’t settle for the status quo or “pat answers.” One of his greatest values on our leadership team is his willingness to think outside of the box and ask the hard questions. He’s committed to his wife, Debbie, and their three, now adult sons, parents and grandchildren. There’s a tenderness that always touches my heart as I watch him interact with his granddaughter. He’s a godly man who is both tough and tender.

  Ron Strelow. If you look up the word “dependable” in the dictionary, you might find Ron’s picture. Not flashy, yet steady. Ron never wants to be a bother, yet seemingly is never bothered at being “bothered.” Like our other leaders, Ron is known for his kindness. Ron is able to step back, be objective and biblically problem-solve. On Sundays it’s often Ron who initiates praying for the worship service. No fanfare, yet he knows that this is God’s work and needs His empowerment and blessing. Gentle spirited enough to minister to children yet strong enough to stand for biblical convictions and worldview. Ron has the gift of listening, a gift that’s increasingly rare.  

  Ray Ziebell. If you walk through the doors at Grace and Ray doesn’t introduce himself, it’s because he was out of town. Ray was the first leader that I met when I came to Grace in 1988 and has been my friend and partner in ministry for some 31 years. Ray has many gifts and passions, yet his one consuming passion is that he wants to share with others that Jesus died for their sins, they too can be forgiven and go to heaven. Another humble man, Ray is quick to admit his failings and shortcomings, even if he’s the only one who sees them. He’s toughest on himself. Nearly insatiably curious about the wonder of creation, his passion for what God is doing is wonderfully infectious. He’s a friend to the friendless and filled with incredible Christlike optimism. Nearly sixty years ago, Ray received God’s generous grace and like his Lord is generous with his life.

  Gary Thompson. They say that “still waters run deep.” That’s Pastor Gary Thompson. His two primary loves in his life that he never stops talking about are Jesus Christ and his wife, Nancy. Though quiet and non-assuming, he’s a man of great discernment. God has already used him at Grace to touch the lives of our older saints. They’ve quickly found in Pastor Gary a man that befriends others and cares for them easily. He has deep faith, is willing to ask questions and graciously disagree without being disagreeable. We were blessed when Gary and Nancy walked through our doors and doubly blessed when Gary agreed to join our ministry team.

  Great men, true heroes whose lives count for eternity, are rarely found in a sports arena or under the glare of stage lights. They’re not often found in the halls of Wall Street or the corridors of Congress. Those men and their “accomplishments are truly here today and gone tomorrow.” As the Psalmist said, they’re like “grass…in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.” The men our world honors often only have gifts for this short, vaporous life.

  You have to look for them, but God continues to raise up men of character and godliness for His Kingdom. Men whose examples we all would do well to emulate, they live for eternity. They are in a constant personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

  All of us follow someone. Who are you following? Rubbing shoulders with you week after week at Grace are men who are godly examples of what it means to be a man who has a heart for Jesus and pleases His Lord.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

The Abortion Debate: A little more light & a little less heat

“Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. I’m calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on.” Alyssa Milano

With the conservative bent on the current U.S. Supreme Court, there’s been a barrage of legislative action related to abortion on the part of the States. States like New York seek to protect their “abortion rights.” Others like Georgia, with their new stricter laws prohibiting abortion, hope a lawsuit will make its way to the Supreme Court to see Roe v. Wade re-addressed and even overturned. In the midst of this political maneuvering, there’s often been more heat than light from both sides of the moral debate.

  Yes, Alyssa Milano actually did tweet that. Unbeknownst to her, she was suggesting exactly what those who hold a biblical worldview believe and is the solution for abortion – abstinence. The Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage violates God’s standard for sexual morality. Let’s not forget that single professional football star, Tim Tebow, was ridiculed for committing to his own personal “sex strike” until marriage. The rationale of those opposed to abstinence is that we’re little more than animals with no hope of restraining ourselves and must succumb to our more carnal urges.

  There’s also blatant hypocrisy on the part of those who promise to boycott states like Georgia which have passed new pro-life laws. Here are just a few examples: Sophie Turner won’t film in Georgia, but she filmed Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland which bans abortion. Mark Hamill and Natalie Portman have both said that they’ll no longer work in Georgia, yet both filmed Star Wars in Tunisia, where it’s illegal to be gay. Tunisia has arrested people for just appearing to be gay.

  The most imprudent protest against new pro-life legislation has been from Disney. Yet, Disney has been filming in Bolivia, where abortion is illegal, Croatia, where abortion is illegal after 11 weeks and the UAE where abortion is illegal and being gay is illegal. Disney has no problem filming in any of these locations, yet suddenly Georgia is the enemy. It doesn’t take a genie to see that this is a big marketing blunder. How can one promote themselves as a “family place,” yet support what exterminates their customer base – families? In light of Disney’s defense of  “reproductive choice,” can we expect them to shut down production in China, including the shuttering of their theme parks on Chinese soil? China has draconian anti-LGBT discrimination and one of the worst records for human rights abuse. If Disney truly cares about human rights, how can they do business in a country with nearly Nazi-like laws against their own citizens?

  Moral ineptitudes make strange bedfellows. The spirit of Margaret Sanger still lives. White Supremacists also oppose the new anti-abortion laws. Why? “Only reason Blacks here in the US have only grown by a few percent each year is because of Planned Parenthood and abortion.”

  Apart from the moral issues, the pro-choice position is fiscally naïve. Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with her obsession with climate change suggests that young people should seriously consider even having children. No one seems to see the end result of such fuzzy thinking: “Who will pay the bills?” Americans and politicians are insatiable for more government programs, but there’s no free lunch. When was the last time you heard of a budget cut being proposed, much less passed?

  A few weeks ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report, concluding that the U.S. is in an official baby bust. It’s been declining for four straight years, but last year the number of babies born in this country fell to a 32-year low. There’s a term called the “replacement level” when you’re talking about fertility. To maintain our current population a woman needs to have 2.1 children, but we’ve been below that level since the early 1970s. Some outcomes of our population decrease will be greater labor shortages and school closings. Taxes must increase. The need for elder care will increase with fewer available to step into those roles. The more that the birth number falls below the replacement level, the weaker our economy will become, especially as a homegrown workforce decreases and more retire. Already-strained programs like Medicare and Social Security will suffer. Fewer workers, i.e., taxpayers,  means fewer paying into the system that supports the growing number of retirees.  We’ve come a long and dark way since Hillary Clinton’s 1990’s comment that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.”

  What’s the solution? Obviously, it’s not another government program but none of these problems are new. Ours is a post-Christian age. The early church faced a pre-Christian one with far worse atrocities; slavery, religious prostitution, infanticide, etc. As the gospel, remedied old world problems, it can remedy contemporary world problems. It’s the gospel that can transform someone’s life, changing someone with no life values to someone who values life and willingly sacrifices for those who can’t defend themselves, the pre-born, disabled, infirm and elderly. We have examples within our own church of grandparents who’ve stepped up to care for a grandchild or an elderly parent.

  It’s the gospel that transforms culture, not social programs, jobs or education. Those are outcomes of the gospel. A Christian who is living out a biblical worldview is a better spouse, parent, student, worker, and citizen. It’s one reason that at Grace we’re committed to planting churches in places like South Chicago (Tom Kubiak) and Nepal (Bishnu).

  The gospel is not just a ticket to heaven. It’s a lifestyle. Living it out means that we’re unapologetically pro-life, but it’s much more than just babies. We’re also pro-living. We want that unaborted child to grow up healthy and safe into adulthood, and to have a quality life filled with opportunity. Yes, we are pro-life – we are pro-life from the first heartbeat to the last breath. That’s what it means to be a Christian. That’s what it means to have a biblical worldview.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Where do you turn when you don’t know where to turn?

“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers

for all the problems men face.” Ronald Reagan

Timing is everything. Recently, I stopped by to see a friend. Something was wrong…I wasn’t sure what. He was both frustrated and discouraged.

  Unfortunately, my friend doesn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Hopefully, I offered some hopeful problem-solving suggestions. Also, because I seek to live and die on confidentiality, he knows that it’s safe to vent to me. What weighed heavy on me though was that I couldn’t direct him to the One where I knew that he’d find true peace and hope.

  This year I’m reading the Bible through again. Recently, I was reading in 1 Samuel 30. Israel and David’s arch enemies, the Philistines are headed north to wage a major attack against Israel. The Amalekites, who seemed to make their living by raiding Philistine and Israelite towns and cities in the south, couldn’t have received better news. Since all the men of fighting age had gone off to war, few or none were left behind to defend the Israeli towns. While David and his soldiers are away, the Amalekites plundered their camp. These raiders took all the cattle and possessions, kidnapped all the women and children, and burnt the city to the ground.

  When David and his men return, they’re horrified to see that their camp has been destroyed and worse, their families have been taken captive. No one has been killed, but every single person has been taken. It’s not a great comfort that their families are still alive. Each man imagines what’s happening (or would soon happen) to his wife and children. At best, they’ll become slaves, to be worked hard and cruelly treated. At worst, well, no one even wanted to consider this. David’s two wives also are taken.

  David’s 600 fighting men are greatly distressed by what’s happened to their families. They weep until they have no sobs left. Then, they began to think about how this happened. It had been David’s plan to go to the land of the Philistines; it was his idea that they live in this remote city of Ziklag, and it was David who led them away fight with the Philistines, leaving their families vulnerable to this attack. They’re angry – anger usually looks for a target. Some are so enraged that there’s talk of stoning David.

  No one can hurt you as much or as deeply as someone who is close to you. I know that’s the case with me. Part of the price of being a pastor is that those you love, pray for and with, have ministered to countless times will sometimes turn on you – and seemingly overnight you can become their worst enemy. Without question it’s one of the greatest heartbreaks of ministry. I don’t know how other pastors handle it. I know that it weighs heavy on me, fills my soul, steals my sleep and greatly discourages me.

  Yet, you don’t have to be a pastor or leader to face a similar situation. All of us have had a friend turn on us. The workplace we poured our lives into no longer needs us. Our spouse who pledged “til death do us part” parts. They’ve found someone else or are leaving to go “find themselves.” More often, it’s a child that speaks words to a Dad or Mom that should never be uttered. We find ourselves despised by the very one that we’d give our lives for. All of us have been there. Betrayal is part of the human condition.

  The important questions are: Who do you turn to? Where do you go when you’re discouraged or hurting? 1 Samuel 30:6 is the answer: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” There’s no better place to go! I can’t say that I always go there first. I can say that I always end up there. I take it to the Lord and seek to leave it there, and then I open up His love letter to me. The bottom line is that everyone turns somewhere. So, where do you go? Where do you turn?

  Can I encourage you to turn to the place where you’ll always receive help? God’s Word. There’s not a situation that we face that has not been faced by someone in the pages of Scripture. God’s Word is sufficient. Many of us don’t know that because we’re not in God’s Word. Read the first two chapters of the book of Job and you’ll no doubt feel that whatever you’re facing is small potatoes.

  While we believe that the Bible is the truth and holds the answer to the basic questions of life, too few of us spend any extended time in reading God’s Word or in basic Bible study. Though we claim to need it, we seem to avoid it. Why? Where’s the disconnect? Why don’t we read the Bible if we believe it’s God’s Word and contains the answers to life’s questions?

  There’s a sobering reality lurking beneath the surface, one we probably wouldn’t say out loud and certainly not in church…we don’t really believe that God’s Word has the answers or that reading the Bible will work for us.

  Can I point out the obvious? What do you have to lose? What you’re doing isn’t working. You’re miserable, discouraged, frustrated and even depressed. If something has worked for people who used it as their source of strength and encouragement even though they were being tortured or facing a violent death, don’t you think that it might work for you? But it will never help if you don’t read it.

  Too many of us are like the person who goes to a doctor. Their physician diagnoses their malady and writes a prescription. They then go to the pharmacist, pick it up, go home but never take the medicine. And then they wonder why they don’t get any better!?!

  When David faced the anger of his own men, he turned to the Lord. It worked for him and it will work for you. Can I encourage you to make spending time with the Lord like an appointment for a meal with a dear friend…because there is no dearer friend. Yet, the Lord Jesus is more than a dear friend, He’s the Savior of your soul. You’ll never surprise Him or frustrate Him. He knows everything about you, loves you, has a plan for your life, knows exactly what’s going on and already knows how He’s going to solve it. So, start reading His love letter to you…start today!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.