BUSY - the worst 4-letter word!

 

I’m so busy, I don’t even have time to think about being busy.

I’m so busy, my to-do list has a to-do list.

I’m so busy, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

I’m so busy I make time fly.

I’m so busy even my dreams have deadlines.

I’m so busy I’ve invented my own time zone.

 
Time is the great equalizer. We all make or have different amounts of money. Each of us have different talents and abilities. We come from different backgrounds and live in different family dynamics. One thing though is consistent. We all have 24 hours every day and 168 hours every week. Nothing more, nothing less. Most of us feel very busy, but have you thought about why we are so busy?
  We let the urgent take priority over the important. Date nights with your spouse are important. Sleep and kids’ sports games are important. Yet, the phone call at work, the emails that need to be returned, the desire to make more money and achieve more at work, and the extra practices for our kids become much more urgent. We let the urgent steal our time.
  We’re people pleasers. We don’t want to let others down, so when a “need” arises, we jump in. Sometimes it means we choose time away from our families because we don’t want to tell someone, “No.” Too often it means that we don’t spend time with the Lord in reading our Bible or prayer. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” We’re trapped when our lives are contaminated by what we want others to think of us. A solution is that we must accept the fact that we’re going to let some people down. That’s tough for people pleasers, yet vital so we can invest in what’s important.
  We don’t want to miss out! Do you have FOMO (fear of missing out)? We don’t want to miss out on anything, so we fill our calendars until they’re brimming over. We forget that God created us to be human beings, not human doings. Sadly, too, we miss out on what truly matters.
  John Rossman says that we’ve created “frantic family syndrome” We’ve succumbed to social peer pressure and think our kids need to be involved in everything – music lessons, dance lessons, t-ball, soccer, karate, scouting but our relationship with them suffers. Relationships are built on t-i-m-e. That can’t happen as you rush from commitment after commitment. It’s a common cultural lie that we’re neglecting our children if they’re not involved in nearly everything. We wouldn’t let them eat everything, so why do we feel that they must be involved in everything? 
  What’s the solution? PRIORITIES. You can’t do everything, so you must choose what’s vital and the most important. The good things in life are the worst enemies of the best things in life.
  One wise university professor would begin his first class each year by saying, “I am about to teach you the most important thing you’ll learn during your entire stay at this institution.” He then pulled out a large glass jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then, he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar. When the jar was filled to the top he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel, dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted and again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a jug of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
  One student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No,” the professor  replied, “that’s not the point. The point is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. Make sure you get the big rocks into your life first.”
  Personally, I try to never say that I’m “busy.” That seems to infer that I have less time than others, which isn’t true. What is true is that each of us chooses how we will use our daily 24 hours. If you own a business, then it’s wise to spend your time on what will make your business most profitable. The same is true of life. If you’re wise, you invest your time where it is best used and most profitable.
  Our responsibilities fall into one of four categories. Knowing where something fits helps us determine its priority and the time to invest in it. They are - Not urgent and not important. Then – Urgent but not important. Another is - Important but not urgent. Finally - Urgent and important.
  For example, if you’re married, how long do you plan to be married? Hopefully, you said “for life” (those vows before God do mean something). So, if I’m going to spend time with my spouse long after my work career is complete and the kids are grown, shouldn’t I make that relationship a top priority now and invest time in it so it’s healthy in the future?
  Here’s a reality check – you can fill your life with work, hobbies or activities, but if you’re in the hospital or really sick, your fellow employees and golfing buddies might send you a card…maybe. But the ones who will be there will be your family, unless you failed to invest in those relationships early on.
  So, if I’m going to spend eternity with One who loved me so much that He sacrificed His Son to die a horrible death for me, shouldn’t I get to know Him now? How can I rationalize that I’m too busy and never crack open my Bible or pray…unless I have an emergency? Do I only see God as some divine EMT or as my Abba-Father? As the Westminster Catechism notes fulfillment and purpose only comes from “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Spend time enjoying Him now so that you’re preparing for that relationship that will last all of eternity!  

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

How's your perspective?

 “Perspective is everything when you are experiencing 
the challenges of life.” Joni Eareckson Tada

 

There was a small town on the border of Canada and the United States. For years both countries fought over the ownership of the town. Finally, the matter went to court and the judge decided in favor of the United States. The town was definitely in the U.S. At the end of the trial one old fellow was heard to say as he left the courtroom, “Oh, thank goodness, I just don’t think I could have stood another one of those cold Canadian winters.”  Isn’t it strange how a shift in perspective can change so many things? An American winter sounds milder than a Canadian one. Think of how life looks different when you’re 35 as compared to 21, or 65 compared to 35.

  The angle from which we view things determines much of what we see. Perspective is everything.  It’s the lens from which we view life. More importantly, it’s how we should view God’s role in our lives. Perspective must be formed by what is true. As Christians, this wisdom should come from God’s Word. To have a biblical perspective, there are some truths then that we need to remember.

  Life is hard. All of us have had one of “those days” when everything just seems to be going wrong. You get up in the morning still tired from a less-than-perfect-night’s sleep. You’re running late for work, you grab your phone, realize that you forgot to plug it in, and the battery is dead. Then you go to the coffee pot hoping to turn your day around – anxious to get that fresh cup – only to find that you didn’t quite have the pot on straight. Instead of a fresh cup of coffee, you now have a counter full of it.

  Our world is fallen and broken, and so are the people in it. We all have to confront trials and sometimes very painful things. Jesus promised that we would have to face tough times, but He also gave us the promise of peace, a command to take courage, and reassurance that He is in control. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” To have peace in the midst of life’s turmoil, we must cling to God’s perspective to experience His peace even in the very worst times of life. We must do what countless other people of God have done.

  God is good. The Bible defines God’s goodness in two ways. One has to do with His character and the other with His actions.

  Psalm 119:68 captures both when it says of God: “You are good and You do what is good…” The first part focuses on that God is by His very nature good. He is "morally excellent, extraordinarily beautiful, and extravagantly bountiful." Yet, how do you see the true character of a person? By that person’s actions. The second part of God's goodness then concentrates on what He does. The Bible is replete with descriptions that point to His kindness, His mercy, His steadfast love, His generosity. God is disposed to give to human beings beyond what they deserve, all the time. God is good.

  God is Sovereign. Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah, Lord God! It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You.” God chooses world leaders (Proverbs 21:1) and controls all human events (Psalm 33:9-11). And He controls all of our circumstances (James 4:13-15). To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is unrivaled in majesty, unlimited in power and knowledge, and unaffected by anything outside of Himself. He is outside of time and totally free to do whatever He wills to do anywhere, at any time, in every single detail without interference. The bottom line is that God reigns! That’s what it means to say that God is sovereign.

  Run that around the block in your thoughts. When someone we love lies in a hospital bed and we don't know what's going to happen, God is in control. When the economy - national or personal - is slipping and sliding, God is in control. When we’re lonely and wonder if we're ever going to connect with someone, God is in control. God is Sovereign. 

  God is All-Wise. Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.” That simply means that there is absolutely nothing that God does not know. From the spinning of galaxies hundreds of lightyears in diameter down to the vibrations of subatomic particles, everything in creation is known and understood by God. It only makes sense that God would understand it, since He created it and now keeps it all going by His power. Every word spoken by every person who ever lived, every thought in every mind, every movement by any of the billions of insects, birds, fish, and mammals anywhere in the world; every chemical reaction going on inside every flower, tree and plant on every continent - ALL of these are fully comprehended by God. They are all known and understood by God simultaneously, all the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

  What difference does God’s wisdom make to us? His wisdom is a source of great hope and comfort. Only a God with perfect wisdom and understanding is truly worthy of our faith. When you place your trust in someone, you want to be sure that they know what they’re doing. Aren’t you thankful that God is All-Wise?

  God is All-Powerful. Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” God’s power is infinite and unlimited. He has the power to do all that He wills to do and is able to do everything He needs or wants to do. That God is All-Powerful is a wonderful comfort to the believer because He is with us and exercises His power on our behalf. Whenever we need Him, and even when we think we don’t, He’s still there. God never fails.

  For a lost world Christ’s cross was a waste, an enormous mistake. But to those of us who believe it’s a demonstration of God’s power. In the very place where God seemed to be defeated, it’s there we see His power.

  Is the all-powerful God good and does He care for us? Look to the cross and decide for yourself. At the cross, in that place where the world sees weakness, we find God’s power. We come helpless to the God who is our help and weak to the God who is our strength. If God weren’t all-powerful, Jesus would be a rotting corpse. Since God can raise the dead, He can do anything. Let that encourage you as you face the seeming impossibilities of life. You’re not alone for the All-Powerful God walks by your side.

  So, when life happens and begins to unravel, it’s a biblical perspective that’s our anchor. Our circumstances may not change but our hearts can when we trust our God and choose to have a Heavenly perspective. 

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

90 seconds to meltdown control!

 

“Nothing makes room for Satan more than wrath.” Thomas Manton

What can you do in 90 seconds? 39 students in South Korea believe you can do a lot. They sued the government because their college admission examination ended 90 seconds earlier than scheduled. They asked for 20 million Won (South Korean currency) which is about $15,400.00 each to compensate them for the cost of a year's studying to retake the exam. South Korean’s infamous college admission test, known as Suneung, is an eight-hour marathon with back-to-back papers in multiple subjects.
  It’s one of the hardest exams in the world and the stakes are very high. It not only determines university placements and jobs but even future relationships. The lawsuit claims that the bell rang earlier at their test site. Some students protested immediately but said that the supervisors still took their papers away. The teachers recognized the mistake before the start of the next session and gave the 90 seconds back during the lunch break, but student could only mark blank columns left on their papers and weren’t allowed to change any existing answers. The students said they were so upset that they couldn’t focus on the rest of the exam. Some reportedly gave up and returned home.
  If you Google what can be done in 90 seconds, you’ll find a myriad of suggestions. One that I loved was made by brain scientist, Jill Bolte Taylor, author of My Stroke Of Insight, which describes our ability to regulate that neurological process that she calls the 90-second rule: “When a person has a reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that happens; any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.”
  Essentially, it’s an update on the 10-second rule when you’re about to lose your cool. Taylor suggests that it really takes 90 seconds to gain control. Her conclusions came in response to holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl’s classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning where Frankl wrote, “When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves...Everything can be taken from a human but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” That inner freedom enabled Frankl to survive the Holocaust, find meaning in his personal tragedy, and empower himself. He chose his response to his circumstances instead of letting the circumstances make the choice for him.
  What sets you off? Most of us have had the experience of a situation or a person setting us off. A rude comment, a harsh social media post, bad news, something breaks down, an unexpected inconvenience and we find we’re having a meltdown. When someone or something sets us off, it’s because we’re neglecting impulse control and failing to respond positively or even righteously to an upsetting situation.
  A Christ-follower has something far better than impulse control. Galatians 5:23 tells us that “self-control” or really “Spirit-control” is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The longer we follow Christ, the more that we let the Holy Spirit be at the controls in our life, the less we’ll blow our stack when something happens that in the past would have set us off.
  We always have a choice to react or not. Unleashing our anger is sin and no one makes us sin. We freely choose to give into the sin of anger.
  Anger though can be addictive. For the moment, letting loose may feel good. Consider this – nearly every domestic dispute, fight or even murder begins with someone losing control. It may feel good until things get out of control, somebody gets hurt, or the damage cannot be rectified.
  Many angry relational explosions repeatedly follow the same script. Your spouse, child, friend or co-worker does something that’s angered you in the past, maybe several times. It happens again and you’re again having a meltdown. So, ask the Lord to help you ditch the script. Amazingly, if one of you ditches the script, the other person must ditch theirs too.
  Self-control wonderfully too can become a habit. A preventive and spiritually mature approach is making a U-turn and practicing the 90-second rule before you lose it. Constant angry reactions to things beyond our control not only create misery but can even shorten our lives. Chronic anger creates a stressful biochemical boomerang that weakens the immune system and increases the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.
  Every believer can call on the Spirit’s power to choose moment by moment how we want to be in the world. Frequently, someone will say, “I know that I have a terrible temper. I got it from my father.” Yet, every child of God has a new Father. The New Testament calls Him “Abba” which simply means “Papa” and He doesn’t have an anger issue.
  Our world is melting down with anger. As Christ-followers, we’re not of this world. God has called us to be distinctly different.
  Personally, I come from a long line of rage-aholics. One the great works in my life by the Spirit of God is a growing sense of peace and calmness. And I know that it’s not me bringing this about, it’s Jesus. You and I are commanded to be peacemakers because we know the Prince of Peace.
  One of my favorite stories of anger being resolved is from Gordon MacDonald. His story powerfully illustrates this. MacDonald writes.
  A Nigerian woman who is a physician at a great teaching hospital in the United States came out of the crowd today to say something kind about the lecture I had just given. She introduced herself using an American name.
  “What's your African name?” I asked. She immediately gave it to me, several syllables long with a musical sound to it.
  “What does the name mean?” I wondered. She answered, “It means ‘Child who takes the anger away.’”
  When I inquired as to why she would have been given this name, she said, “My parents had been forbidden by their parents to marry. But they loved each other so much that they defied the family opinions and married anyway. For several years they were ostracized from both their families. Then my mother became pregnant with me. And when the grandparents held me in their arms for the first time, the walls of hostility came down. I became the one who swept the anger away. And that's the name my mother and father gave me.” 
  My friend, when the Lord Jesus comes into your life, that’s what He does. He takes our anger away. I know that He’s done it for me (though I’m still a work in progress) and I know that He will do it for you!

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

Keep calm and Buc-ee on!

 

“Keep calm and Buc-ee on!”

 
Have you been to Buc-ee’s? If you haven’t, you’ve missed out. There’s a plan to open one in Wisconsin north of Madison in the near future.
  When you’re on a long road trip a stop at a gas station requires an evaluation of some vital questions: Does it look clean? Are the restrooms clean? If they’re not, am I up to date on my vaccinations? Does it look like Norman Bates might be the manager? (Okay, I never really ask that one).
  Buc-ee’s is the new national sensation of gas stations. The Texas-based supersized gas and convenience chain offers much more than a place to fuel up and grab some chips. Devoted fans make regular pilgrimages, sometimes driving hundreds of miles, to stock up on Beaver Nuggets and other merchandise. They hold records for the largest convenience store and longest car wash at 255 feet. Even their restrooms are award-winning.
  Founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin opened his first Buc-ee’s in Clute, Texas in 1982. The name came from combining his childhood nickname; the name of his Labrador Retriever, Buck; and Ipana toothpaste’s animated mascot, Bucky the beaver.
  Buc-ee’s is famous for their food. Each location includes a bakery, brisket and fudge bar, and an Icee station. Walls are lined with candy, beef jerky flavors, including a beef jerky bar. The bakery has about every cookie or pastry imaginable. There are BBQ brisket sandwiches, breakfast tacos/sandwiches, along with various others. Buc-ee’s is famous for its own original snacks – “Beaver Nuggets,” a flavored corn puff snack. It’s a bestseller with people driving hundreds of miles to stock up on them.
  All Buc-ee’s have nearly 100 gas pumps and even Tesla super chargers.  They also offer a wide variety of general and regional-based souvenirs, including apparel and artwork. They carry their own clothing brand, ranging from t-shirts, hats, pants, plushies, swimwear, and blankets. Some locations even sell hunting gear alongside outdoor products such as grills and firepits. In other words, Buc-ee’s has just about everything.
  Do you know the best part of Buc-ee’s? They’re so friendly! On our recent vacation we stopped at a Buc-ee’s in Kentucky around 1 am. Even at those wee hours, employees were friendly and upbeat. They thanked us for coming! Wow! Were we impressed! Not only was it clean and brightly lit, but it was like they actually wanted us there.
  Shouldn’t that be the local church? Shouldn’t that be us at Grace?
  When we’re on vacation we look for a church to worship at. Over the years our family has visited countless ones. Regrettably, some have not been a positive experience. If we lived in the area, we wouldn’t return.  
  In one a few years ago, I had to interrupt a conversation the man passing out bulletins was having to ask if I could have one. One of my unforgettable experiences was being encouraged in the service to pick up a gift for first timers at the Welcome Desk, only to find that they were already shutting it down (I went right away) and again had to interrupt a conversation to ask for the free gift the pastor had urged me to go get.
  My point is that it’s so easy to forget for those of us who have attended Grace for a long time how intimidating it can be to visit a church for the first time. It’s more difficult if you’ve never really attended church. Add to that the complexity if you have young children and are unsure what their experience will be (Where do they go? Will they be safe? Is it clean?)
  Then, with a growing national single population, you can feel like a 5^th wheel if you attend church by yourself. It’s estimated that 51% of Americans are single. They’re either divorced, widowed, or separated, or have always been single (never married).
  Sometimes you must experience something to understand it. It’s why I’d encourage you when you’re on vacation to visit a church. It can be eye-opening, hopefully in a great way, and you’ll come back bubbling with how you were treated as a special guest by another family of believers.
  At Grace, we are all part of the Welcome Team. Remember the “Golden Rule”? “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). Think about how you’d want to be treated if you were visiting a church for the first time. You’d want to be welcomed. You’d want to know people care. Loneliness is an epidemic today. People need to know that we care…and we care because Jesus cares.
  Did you know where making new people feel welcome and wanted at our church begins? In the parking lot. It sets a whole tone of grace and friendliness. A few years ago, Dave and Jen Bonnar began attending Grace because the parking lot greeter connected with them. (Shameless ministry commercial – we desperately need more parking lot greeters).
  If you have children, you need to know that we have ministries for them. You need to know that they will be safe and cared for, that our ministries are well-staffed, and that we do background checks for the volunteers.  
  You’ll want to know that we have FREE coffee and treats. It’s cool if you take them into the sanctuary or sit in the coffee café to enjoy them. It’s why we want to make sure those first tables are open for our newcomers.
  Then, we want them to have the best seats. They usually want to sit close to the door and toward the back so that they can leave quickly. So, let’s fill up the east section or middle one first. Leave the end chair for them so they don’t have to crawl over you. Be careful about huddling or blocking the entry doors. It’s important to share your name and listen for their name…and more importantly, get their children’s names.  
  If Buc-ee’s can do such a great job of making people feel welcome to make a buck, shouldn’t we as a church family be doing that? What’s at stake for us isn’t the bottom line, it may be the destiny of a soul. It’s our mission and what Jesus called us to! But it can’t be a few. It takes all of us! Can we count on you? Let’s be better than Buc-ee’s!  

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

Caring for new church members

 

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.”

                                                    Thomas J. Peters

 

Savannah Cottrell writes: “My parents and I were flying home from a quick getaway up North when we noticed something peculiar about the flight we were boarding home. There were tinsel decorations strung on the ceiling of the plane, and country songs were playing over the loudspeaker. I heard from one of the crew that the reason for all the decorations was because this was the pilot’s final flight before his retirement from the airline.

  Later on, I noticed pictures of this pilot from over the course of his career decorating the overhead compartment doors, and commemorative napkins that the pilot’s wife had printed specially for this flight. Once we landed, the flight attendants said kind words about the pilot, two fire trucks sprayed water on the plane in his honor as a celebratory gesture, and we as passengers celebrated the pilot with noisemakers.

  After that flight, I realized that there was a similar – greater – rejoicing in Heaven every time a new Christian believes that Jesus is the Son of God…as it’s documented in Luke 15:10. Can you imagine…a celebration greater than anything on this earth in your honor?”

  On the back of your bulletin, you’ll find our purpose statement: Grace Church exists to glorify our Heavenly Father by continually making more followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s why we’re here. While at Grace, we’re excited when Christ followers who have moved into our community or for some reason, come to us from another church, yet that’s not our purpose. Transfer growth only helps our church grow. We are committed and our purpose is to see heaven grow, seeing the Body of Christ grow as individuals commit their lives to Christ and trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

  The new birth is only the first step. As a family, of brothers and sisters in Christ, we have biblical responsibilities to each one of them. We want to see them and every believer at Grace grow into a mature Christian.

  The evidence of spiritual maturity is reproducing new disciples. In other words, Jesus’ purpose for each one of us is to become a spiritual parent. As Christians, we are called to make disciples – to do our part to reproduce Christ’s life in others who don’t yet know our Savior. In Jesus’ last words before He left this earth He commanded us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

  Christ’s mission of spiritual reproduction must be a priority for every believer. Just as the human race continues because we physically reproduce, so Christianity continues on this planet because Christians spiritually reproduce new believers. The reason the Church in America is shrinking is not so much that people are leaving the church as it is that the average Christian has abandoned or worse, never participated, in the mission the Lord Jesus gave us. So, how can we help new believers grow?

  Pray for them by name. Do you pray for your family? Then, please pray for your spiritual family, particularly those who are young in the Lord and starting a new walk with Christ. Pray that they will grow in spiritual maturity. Pray for them to have a consistent quiet time to read the Bible and pray regularly. Pray for understanding when he/she reads the Bible and that they will grow in their life.

  Pray for their spiritual protection. When we commit our lives to Christ, we switched teams, and now have a vicious enemy. Pray for them to depend on the Holy Spirit to overcome sins they may have struggled with.

  Pray for the person to be able to witness with spontaneity about their new life in Christ. Others around them will wonder what’s happened and brought this change. They’ll have great opportunities to share their faith.

   Include them in fellowship times within and outside our church. Fellowship is crucial to helping a new Christian feel included. It can be as small as sitting with them in a small group or at a church event and making sure that they know that they’re included in the various events our church may have. Invite them to your own home for a meal or to an area restaurant, or just out for coffee. Community life is crucial among believers. It’s vital that they feel welcome with their spiritual brothers and sisters because we’re family and part of His forever family.

  Offer a listening ear and serve them in their times of need. The Christian life is not easy. When times get rough, the newest family member should be able to come to any of their fellow Christians with their struggles without fear of judgment. It’s important to be available and take time to listen, so they can share their heart about any struggles, temptations or fears. As time passes, they’ll have more questions about God’s Word and the Christian life. They need to feel it’s safe to ask questions about the Bible or other aspects of their faith. We need to be available to them. 

  Just love them. We need to share our lives with new believers, being open and honest about the good and bad as well as what God is teaching us. They’re going to struggle. They need to know that we all struggle because while we are saved from the penalty of sin, the presence of sin and its power are continually present for each of us. When you become someone’s friend, you pull back the mask and reveal who you are.

  Becoming a new Christian brings both its joys and challenges. As a newborn needs a family, God has designed us to be a family of older brothers and sisters. They need us to be there to pray with, fellowship with, and listen to and above all, love our newest brothers and sisters in Christ, so we can build the relationship that lasts into eternity, helping them along the way to know Jesus better until we all get Home. 

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

 

What's your name?

 

“Your identity is like your shadow: not always visible

and yet always present.” Fausto Cercignani

 
A name is one of the first gifts a parent gives to their child. It’s one of the first things that we lead with when we introduce ourselves to someone new. Yet, picking a name for a baby can be an overwhelming, stressful process. It will be a tag that a child will have for the rest of his or her life.
  There’s a new study out that people alter their appearance to suit their names. Researchers sought to determine whether parents choose a baby name based on what seems fitting for the baby's appearance, or if an individual’s facial appearance changes over the years to align with the social stereotypes associated with his or her name.
  In the study, 9- to 10-year-old children and adults were asked to match faces to names. The findings revealed that both the children and the adults correctly matched adult faces to their corresponding names, significantly above the chance level. However, when it came to children's faces and names, the participants were unable to make accurate connections.
  The researchers concluded that the similarity between a person's face and name results from a self-fulfilling prophecy. Adult facial appearances change over time to align with stereotypes associated with the name. Stereotypes can be formed in many ways, for example, because the name is linked to a famous figure or due to the connotations of say a biblical name.
  On this one, I’m a skeptic. In my junior year of high school there were four of us named Scott, all in the same homeroom. If you Google Scott, there are many famous people named Scott. Though I’d have loved to have had the musical ability of a Scott Joplin, I’ve never been interested in acting like Scott Bakula, Scott Baio or Scott Caan. Yet, I would have loved to have just a bit of the athletic ability of a Scott Hamilton.
  If you’re a Christ-follower, there’s a name we must live up to. Are you living up to yours? The name Christian has virtually become meaningless. That wasn’t the case when it was first used. It was almost written as a footnote with no explanation in Acts 11:26: “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
  Those early believers were distinctly different from the culture they lived in. Because they lived in an environment without a connection to Judaism like the church in Jerusalem had, believers in Antioch really stuck out. Antioch was a Roman city, influenced by the Roman and Greek way of life. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. As those around them observed the life differences in those believers, a new label began to form. They were called Christians because they followed Christ. What were some defining marks that set believers apart from their culture?  
  They continually spoke of Jesus and what He’d done for them. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch to check out the church, he saw the grace of God. Many of those believers had been radically saved. Their conversion stories were often sharp and distinct, so they loved to tell their community of the love of Christ. They shared the gospel with those around them.
  They lived out their devotion to Christ for everyone to see. Their lives were significantly different from the society around them. Their dissimilarity with their culture was a new experience for the church. Jerusalem believers lived a lifestyle like the culture they lived in, one steeped in Judaism. Judaism and Christianity overlap in moral matters, so the church stood out mostly for its belief in Jesus as the Messiah. But, in Antioch, the new behavior and morality of Christians was far different from the lifestyle of those around them. Yet, these believers were part of the city, rather than isolationists like the Jewish community there. Neither isolationistic nor idolaters, they became a fascination for many in Antioch.
  They were a multiethnic, diverse community. In those days, religion and race were entwined together in a tangled knot. Race often determined your religion. As Christianity spread, conversions occurred everywhere. Since they took the gospel wherever they went, new believers were of every race and culture, which resulted in a multiethnic, diverse church.
  They had a new sexual ethic. Believers in Antioch fled the Roman-sexual anything goes morality to live a biblical one. They respected women, recognizing they deserved honor and equality. They celebrated marriage and that the only Christ-honoring sexual experience was in a covenantal union. It was so starkly unique that it shocked non-Christ followers.
  They had a new work ethic. Rather than living to acquire wealth, believers worked with the goal of bringing honor to God. They wanted their work to reflect well on God and saw work as a means of worship.  
  They loved one another. Their love for other believers stood out most of all. They were known by their love. As they lovingly lived with one another day in, day out, the rest of the community took note of the way they treated each other and those outside their group. Even when mistreated, they loved the world around them. They were united despite race, position (slave or free), politics, or economics.
  Those early Christ-followers, like Jesus, were an enigma. They didn’t fit the existing categories. They didn’t disassociate from their world yet were distinctly different from their world.
  It reminds me of a story of Alexander the Great. One night Alexander couldn't sleep and walked around the campgrounds. He came across a soldier asleep on guard duty. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was death. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing Alexander, the young man feared for his life. "Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on duty?" Alexander asked the soldier. "Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice.
  "Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great. "Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What’s your name?" "My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated. A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What’s your name?" For the third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir." Then, Alexander the Great looked the young man straight in the eye. "Soldier," he said, "either change your name or change your conduct."
  We live in a unique cultural moment, filled with opportunity. If Christians today will live like the church in Antioch lived, our faith and walk with Christ will stand out in beautiful ways. The name “Christian” should be our identity. Others interacting with us should see Christ. Are you living in a way so that others would label you a Christian?

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

 

Giving Away Kindness

 

“Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. 

The second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.”  Henry James

 
With the recent Olympics a wonderful story from 2019 has been resurfacing. At a match in August of that year, Israel’s women’s lacrosse team showed true sports (wo)manship during their match against Kenya. Israel defeated Kenya, 13-4, at a match during the 2019 Women’s Lacrosse Under 19 World Championship in Peterborough, Ontario. Though they won, the Israeli players realized something was unfair. The teams weren’t on equal footing, literally. None of the Kenyan players had cleats, which put them at a great disadvantage. The Israeli team decided to do something about it, surprising their opponents with brand-new footwear.
  Rain from the night before the match resulted in the Kenyan women slipping all over the field. Their tennis shoes couldn’t provide the proper traction. Many of the Kenyan athletes lived in poverty in two-bedroom mud shacks housing families of eight and had to overcome numerous obstacles to even get to the tournament. They’d ordered new running shoes, but upon arriving in Canada, discovered they were in U.S. sizes and not in the U.K. sizes they’d ordered.
  After the game, Michael Duvdevani, whose daughter, Ella, is on the Israeli team, discovered that the Kenya team did not have any cleats, and he wanted to do something about it. In a group message with all of the Israeli team parents, Duvdevani explained the situation and asked: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” They were. That evening Duvdevani contacted the Kenyan team’s assistant coach to gather his team’s shoe sizes. Then, he found a store in Peterborough that luckily had the 18 pairs of shoes in the sizes the Kenyan teens needed. Duvdevani paid for all the shoes upfront (he was later reimbursed by the rest of his team’s parents). With the help of his two younger children, he packed the shoes labeling each box with the players’ name and corresponding jersey numbers.
  The next day, the Kenyan coach brought his team to the Israeli-Belgium game under the ruse that they were scoping out the Belgium team, who the Kenyans were scheduled to play the following day. In reality the Israeli teens wanted to present them with their brand-new cleats and surprised their new friends with the brand-new shoes after the MVP ceremony.
  Hugs went all around. Neither team fared particularly well in the tournament, but the Israeli and Kenyan teams continued to support each other. A couple days after the cleats were gifted, the Kenyan team ventured over to the Israelis’ match against Ireland. Still dressed in their jerseys from a game earlier that day, the Kenyan girls waved Israeli flags, and danced and cheered for their newfound friends. I love these words from the Israeli goalie, Lielle Assayag, “This is what I’ll remember in twenty years. My friends, my old ones, and my new ones.” 
  In an angry world where it seems nearly everyone is irate about something, Christ-followers must be known for being kind and gracious. What does it take to be consistently kind?
  It takes resilience. Those who are genuinely kind without expecting reciprocation have a unique ability to bounce back from setbacks. They experience the same hurdles we all do – losses, failures, and disappointments – but respond to them differently. Rather than dwelling on negative outcomes, they choose to respond with kindness. Their resilience stems from this kindness – a unique strength as admirable as it is powerful.
  It takes empathy. It’s not just about understanding someone’s feelings, it’s actually sharing in them. When someone is going through deep waters and shares their troubles, an empathetic person listens and seeks to understand. Empathy isn’t about solving problems or giving advice. It’s about understanding another person’s situation and feelings so deeply that you can almost feel them yourself. A kind person connects with others on a deeper level. They’re able to put themselves in the other person’s shoes and truly understand their emotions.
  It takes authenticity. Genuinely kind people don’t wear masks, don’t put on a show, and don’t try to be someone they’re not. They’re comfortable in their own skin and aren’t afraid to be transparent. Because they’re authentic, they create a safe space for others to be themselves too, fostering deeper and more meaningful connections in the process.
  It takes patience. Patience is a significant strength that kind people possess. It’s not just about waiting without complaint. It’s a deeper form of patience that shows up in their interactions with others. They don’t rush others, impose their timelines, or expect immediate change.
  Have you ever had a teacher who worked with you when you had difficulty understanding something? They don’t rush you and take extra time to explain things until you grasp them. In a world that’s always in a hurry, this kind of patience is a unique strength.
  It takes optimism. Another word for it is – hope! If anyone should have hope, it’s a Christ-follower. We know no one is beyond God’s love, no situation is impossible, and we’re all going to get Home before dark. This optimism stems from a deep-seated belief in the goodness of God. Genuinely kind people see the best in others, even when it’s not apparent. Like Jesus, they believe in second chances and the potential for true transformation. Their optimism isn’t just infectious, it’s inspiring.
  It takes generosity. Think about the last time you gave something without expecting anything in return. How did it make you feel? Kind individuals have an innate sense of generosity. It’s not just monetary or some grand gesture. The greatest acts of generosity are often the simplest ones – like giving time, attention, or words of encouragement when someone needs it.
  It takes gratitude. This may be the most important trait. Kind individuals have a deep sense of gratitude for all that God has given them. They appreciate the people and experiences in their lives, both good and bad. They understand that every encounter, every moment, every trial is an opportunity for spiritual growth and to glorify God. Their deep gratitude is reflected in their attitudes and actions…in the way they treat others. This spirit of gratitude is the root from which their kindness grows.
  As Jesus walked this earth, He was known for being kind. As His followers, we must be known for our Christlike kindness. Are you a Christ-follower? Are you known for being kind? Is that your reputation?

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

Lost

 

“It is those who get lost, who find the new ways.” 
                                                            Nils Kjaer 

Currently, Jane and I are on vacation in Florida. Personally, I’m so thankful for GPS. I have a fairly natural sense of direction…unless I’m out on a country road. Drop me in the middle of a major city and I can usually find my way. Drop me in the middle of nowhere or Walworth County, and I’m in deep weeds. For me, civilization ends a little north of Madison. I can relate to the guy who said, “I am not lost. To be lost you have to know where it is you’re supposed to be, and I don’t even know that.”
  Shortly after moving to Burlington from Detroit, Jane and I were visiting a family who’d recently attended our church. We had a lady in the church who would watch our then two young children, but she lived out in the boonies. It was the day of phone booths before cell phones. We got so lost after our appointment that we spent at least an hour trying to find her house again to retrieve our kids. I know we called her at least once, maybe twice, from a phone booth to get directions back to her home.
  The Bible says a lot about being lost. In Luke 15 Jesus told three parables, known as “the lost parables.” I love them! Because that was me and that was you until Jesus found us. They tell us wonderful things about God.
  Sinners are lost until God finds them. The biblical description of those who do not yet know Jesus is not “unsaved,” it’s lost. It’s an empty, hopeless word when used in referring to things or animals. It’s an especially bleak word when it’s used in reference to people.
  We once lost Ben at the Mall of America. It was terrifying. We spent several minutes frantically searching for him, but it seemed a lot longer. When we finally found him, I was so emotional. There are very few times in my life when I have felt so frightened.
  When a close family member is lost, you won’t rest until they are found. Did you know that the Bible describes every person who does not know Jesus Christ as being lost? Jesus first tells the parable of the lost sheep. A lost sheep in the Judean wilderness was doomed. It had no protection. It’d be only a short time before a predator would attack and kill it.
  A lost dog might find its way home, but a lost sheep is unable to do so. That’s the picture of us, lost sinners. The sinner may not even know that he’s lost. Unbelievers are lost and helpless prey for the enemy unless God intervenes. But thank God, He has intervened! Jesus shows us that …
  God goes to great effort to seek lost sinners. The shepherd leaves his 99 other sheep and goes after the lost one until He finds it. It’s Jesus who is the Good Shepherd. He described His mission as “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
  God undertakes the personal cost of the search. The shepherd invested whatever time it took to search for his lost sheep. He exposed himself to the dangers of the wilderness and the weather. The same lions or wolves that were stalking his sheep might stalk him. He went without sleep. The longer the sheep remained lost, the greater the risk of its being killed.   
  The shepherd did whatever it took, however costly, to find the one missing sheep. But in the case of our salvation, the cost was much greater. It cost God the life of His Son, Jesus. “God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).
   God pursues lost sinners until He finds them. The shepherd relentlessly searched until he finally found his sheep. In the same way, the Good Shepherd goes after every sheep whom His Father has given to Him so that none will be lost but that all will be brought safely into His fold. If you’re Christ-follower then you know it’s not because you sought after God, but because God sought after you and kept seeking you until He rescued you from your sin.
  Dr. Harry Ironside, one time pastor of Moody Church, told of a new convert who gave his testimony at a church service. With a smile on his face and joy in his heart, the man shared how he’d been delivered from a life of sin. He gave the Lord all the glory.
  The man in charge of the service didn’t understand that salvation is totally by God’s grace, apart from human merit. So, he responded to the young man’s comments by saying, “You seem to indicate that God did everything when He saved you. Didn’t you do your part before God did His?” And the new Christian said, “Oh, yes, I did. For more than 30 years I ran away from God as fast as my sins could carry me. That was my part. But God took out after me and ran me down. That was His part.”
  When God finds lost sinners, He keeps them safely. When the shepherd found the lost sheep, he didn’t get out his whip to drive it back home. No, he put it securely on his shoulders and carried it home.
  I love the picture of Jesus as the smiling shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders. He’s holding it by its legs, so it won’t get lost again. As Jesus said concerning His sheep, “I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28).
  None of us is secure in our salvation because of our grip on the Good Shepherd. We’re secure because of His grip on us. If God goes to such great effort to seek lost sinners, shouldn’t we? If our Lord came from heaven to seek and to save the lost, shouldn’t we be praying often, “Lord, use me to be Your instrument in seeking lost people with Your good news?” Rather than avoiding sinners, we must be pursuing them, to be part of rescuing them from this doomed world. Ask God to burden your heart for the lost and to give you opportunities to pursue them with the gospel and share how the Good Shepherd rescued you.
  God celebrates when lost sinners come to repentance. Heaven is already filled with joy. When a sinner gets saved, heaven throws a party, just as the father of the prodigal son did in Luke 15! When a sinner turns from his sins to God, all heaven rejoices because God gets the glory. The angels also rejoice because they know the joys of God’s glorious presence in heaven, where those rescued by the Good Shepherd will spend eternity.
  Do you love a party? If you’re lost and don’t know Christ, commit your life to Him today and all of heaven will have a party over you. Angels live in the breathtaking presence of God, regularly seeing His wonders, yet they’re ecstatic over each person who repents and comes to Christ. So, come to Him today and let’s get the party started!

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

 

To Tell The Truth

 

“When regard for truth has been broken down or even slightly weakened, all things will remain doubtful.” Augustine

 
A store manager heard his clerk tell a customer, “No, ma’am, we haven’t had any for a while, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll be getting any soon.” Horrified, the manager came running over to the customer and said, “Of course we’ll have some soon. We placed an order last week.”
  Then, the manager drew the clerk aside. “Never,” he snarled, “Never, never, never say we’re out of anything- say we’ve got it on order and it’s coming. Now, what was it she wanted anyway?” The clerk said, “Rain!”
  Ours is a dishonest world. Honesty is sacrificed…often for greed. It seems that in election years, the lies are more plentiful and flagrant. But God’s Word repeatedly reminds us that God is the God of truth, and His people are commanded to be people of truth. A healthy church—a body of believers that follows Jesus as the head must be a place of truth. It’s where we love each other enough to be honest and admonish each other truthfully when needed. It’s a place where we’re lovingly truthful about the sins that cause us to stumble because sin has such damaging consequences.
  One University of Massachusetts study found “that 60 percent of people lied at least once during a 10-minute conversation and told an average of two to three lies.” The study also found lies told by men and women differ in content, but not in quantity: “Women were more likely to lie to make the person they were talking to feel good, while men lied most often to make themselves look better.”

  In Ephesians 4:15-16 Paul writes: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Apparently, the church in Ephesus had a truth problem. They’d gotten to the point where they preferred hearing stuff that made them feel good rather than what was true.

  One of the benefits of connecting with other believers is their ability to see sin in us that we’re blind to. We need this aspect of body life because part of the damage sin causes is blindness. We can see the speck of sin in another person’s eye but may be blind to the 2 x 4 plank that’s in our own.
  In God’s Word of truth, we’re reminded of how sin does this. 1 John 1:8 talks about Christians who deceive themselves by thinking they’re without sin. “If we claim we are without sin, we deceive ourselves—and the truth is not in us.” Here are a few more. Obadiah 1:3, “The pride of your heart has deceived you.” Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” Our sin blinds and deceives us. Author Michael Novak put it this way: “Our capacity for self-deception has no known limits.” We deceive ourselves all the time into thinking we’re better than we are. One of the biggest lies is that most of us think we’re basically good. We’re not.
  Remember that famous scene from the movie, A Few Good Men? Jack Nicholson is on the witness stand and Tom Cruise says, “I just want the truth.”  Nicholson screams, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” He has a point. The fact is the truth we need to hear can be very hard to handle. It’s hard to honestly admit our failures and flaws.
  Yet there’s a vital part of truth that’s life giving and sustaining. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31). So, the truth about the truth is this – it will set you free, but first it can make you miserable. Some pain and misery are necessary for spiritual growth.
  We need to see our own sin—we have to face it—we have to handle it—if we’re going to move forward on toward spiritual maturity. A Christian who can’t admit that he or she is wrong is not growing toward Christlikeness. Remember God opposes the proud. He only gives grace to the humble.
  That’s why we need body life, close spiritual friendships and small groups. It’s where the power of connecting with other Christians comes in. Those who know us, really know us, will see things about us that we miss.
  Did you know we can only see about 60% of our body without a mirror or a reflective surface of some sort? Its why wives ask their husbands that dangerous question: “How do I look?” All kidding aside, others can see things about us that we’re blind to. If those who really know us truly love us, they’ll tell us when we are walking around with a two by four in our eye. They’ll tell us the truth, the truth we need to hear. They’ll tell us when we’ve got a sin problem and don’t look or act so good.
  In June of 1938, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, wrote a letter to his editor Stanley Unwin explaining why he was behind schedule finishing the final draft for The Hobbit. Tolkien told Unwin that instead of drafting more material, he had decided to start over and rewrite the first three chapters.
  What motivated Tolkien to go back and start the whole thing over again? It was the loving criticism he had received from his friend, C. S. Lewis. Apparently, Lewis read chapters, liked the story, and encouraged Tolkien, but he also took the time to critique it and make specific suggestions for its improvement. For instance, Lewis told Tolkien that there was too much dialogue, too much chatter, too much “silly hobbit talk.” According to Lewis, all this dialogue was dragging down the story line. 
  Tolkien grumbled in response to Lewis, “The trouble is that ‘hobbit talk’ amuses me—more than adventures.”
  Yet he still accepted the advice. Also, in the first draft of The Lord of the Rings, the story centers on a hobbit named Bingo, who sets out with two companions, Odo Took and Frodo Took. As Tolkien does revisions, Bingo becomes Frodo, and is joined by his friends Sam and Pippin. I wonder, would The Lord of the Rings have been nearly so popular if the main character had been called Bingo? But more than just names have been transformed. Tolkien’s revised version is shorter and much clearer, too.
  When J.R.R. Tolkien rewrote the material, he cut nearly half of the dialogue.  On page after page, he deleted long conversations and picked up the action. As a fan of those books, I don’t think I would have enjoyed them as much without Lewis’ input.
  Each of us needs a C.S. Lewis in our lives. We need someone to encourage us on toward God’s best. Are you open to one in your life? Are you a Lewis in someone else’s life? We will never be the mature Christians God desires us to be or the church that glorifies Him until we learn to “speak the truth in love.”

Can we help you spiritually? 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.