What's YOUR word for the year?

 “Don't gobblefunk around with words.”  Roald Dahl

 

Do you like words? Do you enjoy playing with words? I do. One of my favorite podcasts is Presbyterian pastor, George Grant’s Word Play. 

 If you Google it, you’ll find that as many famous people took their last breath, they had one last word. For example, as he lay dying, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, uttered his final word, “miserable.” It’s not a surprise that Romantic poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s last word was “beautiful.” Civil War General and later president, Ulysses S. Grant, whispered “water” as he died. On his deathbed, Martin Luther was asked if he continued to stand by his doctrine that helped launch the Reformation, to which Luther gave an emphatic reply, “Yes!”

  It’s amazing how often we describe something with one word. Any restaurant would love to be described as “fantastic,” but “mediocre” isn’t going to encourage customers. We often describe people with a singular word. “Cool” is cool. Yet, most wouldn’t find “cold” a compliment.

  Listen to friends talk and you’ll find that they often have one word that they consistently use (hopefully it’s not an obscenity.) Some people’s lives could be described with one word. A neighbor that’s thoughtful might be described as “kind, whereas a cruel boss is a “jerk.”

  At the beginning of the new year, most of us come up with resolutions. But 9 out of 10 people will fail with their resolutions. 50% of those resolution makers will fail by the end of January.

  Three friends grew weary of making and failing at their resolutions (Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page) and determined to focus on one word each year. Ultimately, they wrote a book, One Word That Will Change Your Life. No resolutions, no goals…just one word that gives meaning, mission, passion, and purpose. One word to help them be their best for the coming year.  

  Every New Year’s Eve they gathered with their children and each came up with a word. Then they made paintings of their words that hung in their houses to remind them to focus and live out their word for the year.

  Do I believe that “one word” is the secret to having a fulfilled and meaningful life? Not necessarily. I do know that the great Greek philosopher, Socrates, was on to something when he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Too many of us drift through life void of a sense of  purpose or meaning. Read the obituaries and you’ll see how trivial too many lives are. God wants us to live with meaning and purpose.

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrates this. On August 23^rd, 1963 a quarter of a million people came to Washington DC to hear Dr. King speak at the Lincoln Memorial. That’s astounding, particularly for that day. Think about it. How did he get so many people to come? He didn’t have a newsletter or a Twitter account. He wasn’t making YouTube videos or using Google ads. He didn’t have a website, Instagram or Facebook.

  Dr. King didn’t have any of the tools that make it so easy today for us to reach people and start movements and yet 250,000 people still came. Why? Because he stood for something important. The cause he believed in moved hearts and led them to action. It was so important that people willingly spread the word and promoted his cause because it was their cause too. If you were going to sum up Dr. King’s life in one word – it would be cause. He lived and tragically died for a cause.

  God is not in the mass production business. He has a special purpose for your life and my life. The Bible is very clear as to what our purpose in life should be. We are to bring glory to our Creator. It is only as we live for Him that our lives have meaning, after all, He designed and created us.

  A life without the right purpose is a miserable one. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, discovered the futility of a life that’s lived only for passing pleasure and this temporal world. Ecclesiastes is a summary of his attempt to find meaning elsewhere. He summarizes his failure at the end: “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Ultimately, he realizes that life is all about honoring God with our thoughts and lives and obeying His commandments.

  One day we will each stand before God in judgment. Part of our purpose in life is to fear and obey Him. And God generously rewards those who surrender their lives to Him and live for Him. What a wonderful blessing if each of us would hear Jesus say to us as we stand before His throne: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).

  Maybe you’re wondering what’s my one word? To be honest, I’ve never done this before. Yet if I were going to sum up my goal for 2023 into one word it would be “closer.” At the end of this year, I want to be closer to Jesus than I am now. I don’t want to have to tell anyone that I’m a Christian. I want it be so obvious that they can nearly smell the aroma of the Savior on me.

  One of my favorite accounts from the Gospels is in John 12. A group came looking for the Lord Jesus and they said to one of His disciples, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” As I begin my day I pray that I’ll grow more Christlike. I want to be closer to Jesus and I want others to see Him in me.

  And then I want to be closer to my wife and family. Jane and I are celebrating 40 years this coming July 2^nd. I am so much more in love with her than I was when I said, “I do.”

  I’m also praying that our church family will be closer to the Lord and to each other. It’s only as we’re passionate about the Lord and love each other that we can truly offer hope to a hurting world.

  Do you have one word? If it will help you move closer to Jesus. Maybe it’s time to paint out your word?  

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. 

Some Righteous Resolutions

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard

  Every year, around 45% of Americans seize upon the desire for a fresh start at New Year’s and make one or more resolutions. We determine to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, or get out of debt. We feel determined. We join a fitness center or a 12-step program. We create a plan for change. Yet every year, 97% of us fail. Early efforts prove to be a flash in the pan. In the end, we forget and quit. It’s over and nothing changes.

  Please do make some of those needed changes and stick with them. Yet, let me add to that – consider what really counts, the eternal and spiritual. If you get out of debt, lose weight or stop smoking – it only counts for this short life. Changes though in our spiritual life make a difference in eternity. It’s the difference between buying a gift for someone at the Dollar Store or at Neiman Marcus. Which would you rather have? So let me share some suggestions on eternal changes to consider.

  Reading your Bible daily. This is one of the most important commitments a Christian can make. Each day we must make decisions and want to accomplish something. If you begin your day with the Bible, you’ve already accomplished one of the most important things you’ll do that day. You’ve spent time with your Heavenly Father who loves you and knows exactly what you’re going to face that day. It’s best to start small and be systematic. If you’ve never done this before, begin with one of the Gospels. Read a chapter or least half a chapter a day. I’d consider adding a chapter from Proverbs. The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and you can easily read the chapter that coincides with the day. Perhaps you’ve never read the Bible through. There are several Bible reading plans available. We have one on the back table available and a link at the bottom of this week’s Sword Challenge that will direct you to four different options.   

  Committed prayer time. Reading our Bible is allowing our Father to speak to us through His love letter. Prayer is our conversing back with Him. Too often our prayer life is little more than a grocery list. How would we feel if the only time that we heard from a friend was when they needed something? God wants us to talk to Him. But it’s normal to struggle with what to pray about. I love this simple approach called A.C.T.S. Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who He is as Lord over all. Confession: Honestly deal with sin in your life. Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you're grateful for. Supplication: Pray for the needs of others and yourself.

  Commit to worship and community. God designed us for worship and community. Our struggle is that there are so many options and we seemingly have so many things to do. It’s easy to deceive ourselves in to thinking that we’re faithful in worship if we attend once or twice a month. Let me encourage you to commit to attending every Sunday unless you’re providentially hindered. And determine to make some type of Grace Group part of your life, whether it’s one that meets on Sundays or one that meets every other week on a weeknight. Since sin entered the world, we’re resistant to community. We like to keep others, even brothers and sisters in Christ, at a safe distance and not let them glimpse into our souls. Community is essential to our spiritual health and growth. You will never grow spiritually and have all that God has for you ALONE. 

  Grow past that sinful habit that keeps throwing you spiritually. For some it may be something overt like substance abuse, porn addiction, anger or materialism. For most of us though, it’s an attitude which pops up as a sinful behavior. First, remember that it’s already paid for and conquered at the Cross, and your Heavenly Father already knows about it. But you can never just stop something. Scripture teaches the principle of godly replacement. Check out Ephesians 4 for a wonderful model of leaving something and replacing it with something godly, eternal and better. This might be one where you ask a mature Christian friend to help and share with you where he/she thinks that you most need to grow. Most of us are blind to our own spiritual weak spots. Our attitudes are usually the biggest barriers to a vibrant relationship with the Lord and with others. Some of the more common sinful attitudes are arrogance, a critical or negative spirit, a selfish one, or even a fearful or doubting spirit.  

  Grow in generosity. If you focus on the other four, the Spirit will make this one nearly happen spontaneously. First, praise God each day for His countless blessings. Then, most of us need to grow and learn to be lavish in our praise toward those closest to us. Praise and affirm the ones that God has brought directly into your life – your spouse and children. For many of us, one encouraging word a day would be a huge step forward. How sad that we often are kinder and more gracious with a clerk in a store.

  Then, be generous in sharing your faith. Everyone that you meet will spend eternity somewhere. Ask the Lord for daily opportunities to share the gospel and seek to build gospel bridges. Finally, be generous with your time and money. Ours is a narcissistic world, but we are not of this world. Those who are spiritually mature and love the Lord are always generous. You can’t be close to a generous God without becoming generous as He is. 

  Finally, write it down and date it. Writing it down helps keep us accountable. You might ask a godly friend to be your accountability partner. As you look back at it at the end of 2018, it will encourage you. You probably won’t get as far as you desire, yet you’re headed in the right direction! And God is more interested in our direction than in our distance. 

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. 

Some of the wealthiest, healthiest resolutions you'll ever make...

“Resolutions are popular because everyone feels they could use a little improvement.” Marilu Henner

  Okay, I’ll admit it – I’m a dog person. If you’re a cat person, I’ll pray for you J. Since it’s that time of year when everyone is making behavior modifications, I thought that our big chocolate lab, Ernie could use a little behavior modification. So I’m going to suggest to him that in 2015…

  * He stop trying to find the few remaining clean pieces of carpet in the house when he’s about to throw up.

  * He won’t lick family members faces after eating animal elimination or his own regurgitation. (Door-to-door salesman are of course, open season).

  * He won’t chew pens or markers, especially red or pink ones.

  * When in the car, he won’t insist on having the window rolled down when it’s raining.

  * He’ll remember that the sofa isn’t a face towel. Neither are family members’ pants legs.

  * That his head doesn’t belong in the frig or his nose on the counter, and that he’ll stop staring at anyone eating like he’s a starving 3^rd world child.

  * And that he not shake the rain out of his fur after coming back inside.

  It’s that time of year. Have you made some New Year’s resolutions? You’ve probably made some health and financially related ones. Can I suggest some resolutions you might not have considered? There not in any particular order, just something to think about.

  To spend more time in actual conversations rather than on social media. Want extra money? Put $1.00 in a jar every time you’re out for a meal and see people sharing a meal with someone but they’re on their phone. Put $5.00 in a jar for your spouse if you’re the one doing it. I know sometimes there are emergencies, but most of the time that’s not the case. We don’t always need to be connected. If you’re in the car with someone, talk to them, not on your phone to someone miles away.

  To spend more time having significant conversations. Sometimes days can go by with the conversations we have with our friends, family members and co-workers going no deeper than surface-level chit-chat. Though there’s nothing wrong with joking around, theorizing about the latest episode of your favorite TV series, or even strategizing about the Packers. But if we’re not intentional about regularly engaging in deeper conversations—that challenge us spiritually, intellectually and socially—too often, those types of talks become rare or non-existent.soci

  To do more and complain less. Ours is a complaining culture. There’s seemingly always something wrong. We need to ask ourselves, “what good will this do other than raise my blood pressure?” Complaining may give some momentary relief from frustrations, but working on solutions to the problems in our world can actually take steps forward in fixing things that are broken. While we may not be able to “fix” it, often we can take proactive steps that we have control over. And we can always pray!

  To spend more time thanking and less worrying. Every moment spent worrying is wasted, not to mention, it’s counterproductive. Francis Chan said, “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of the what’s happening in our lives.” We worry about that which we have no control over but we rarely thank God (or others) for our many blessings. Maybe it would help to keep a diary or log of your daily blessings.

  To spend time getting to know God better. Be honest, when we feel rushed, what’s the first thing we cut back on – our spiritual life. We skip reading our Bibles, our prayer life becomes little more than a quick verbal text, we skip church and can’t ever find the time to be in a small group. If we wait until we have time, it won’t ever happen. Spending time with the Lord, like spending time with a close friend has to be intentional and scheduled. J. Oswald Sanders wisely observed, “It is impossible for a believer, no matter what his experience, to keep right with God if he will not take the trouble to spend time with God. Spend plenty of time with Him; let other things go, but don't neglect Him.”  

  To try something new every week, if not every day. When is the last time you tried out a different ethnic food. With the Internet recipes from around the world at right at your fingertips. Break out of your routine. Do something different and new. Listen to new music. With Spotify and Pandora, keeping up with new music releases and styles has never been easier. If you read fiction, read a biography. If you read serious books, switch to fiction. If you’re always watching TV or surfing the Net, turn it off and pick up a book. Even switch where you sit in your family room or at the dinner table. Try a different version of the Bible. If you watch one news channel, watch one from the opposite spectrum.

  Cut yourself and others some slack. Most of us are wound too tight and far too stressed. If it won’t matter next week, it probably doesn’t matter today. In this social media era, where everyone’s opinion gets a platform, it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting angry at our friends over things they say that we don’t agree with. Outrage is way overrated. Commit to being offended less and reserving your anger for issues that really matter.

  And when you make a mistake or even sin, remember, it’s ALL died for. If you’re good at beating yourself up, please make sure that you also affirm yourself and tell yourself what you’re enjoying. Thank God for His grace! For some reason, dark and negative self-talk is acceptable but self-affirmation, gratitude and enjoyment is psycho babble. It’s not and we need more of it. It may result in us not looking like we suck on lemons. God doesn’t expect perfection from us and we’re silly to expect it of ourselves.

  To challenge my own opinions and presuppositions more often. These are polarized days. Being able to take a stand for what you believe is admirable, but so is listening to the other side and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Even if we don’t change our position, questioning our own long-held presuppositions doesn’t just challenge our beliefs—it can actually strengthen them.

  To spend more time with people you care about. While it’s often more convenient to go to the drive-thru, eat lunch at your desk or use dinnertime to catch up on Netflix, it’s not good for us. There’s nothing wrong with doing this occasionally, but when eating on the run becomes a lifestyle, we end up depriving ourselves and others in our life of moments that could be used to build deeper relationships. At the very least schedule to meet a friend for coffee or lunch. If you don’t schedule it, it’s not going to happen.

  God has given us everything we need to enjoy life (1 Timothy 6:17). So are you? If not, why not? Maybe it’s time for some significant change.

Temple Maintenance

 “Never order food in excess of your body weight.” Erma Bombeck

  Do you have food paranoia? If you don’t, you probably know someone who does. They’re all around us. They’re those individuals who rigorously police what they put into their mouths like customs inspectors with a drug-sniffing dog. They make the TSA look like Paul Bart Mall Cop. With incredible vigilance they scan the horizon for fattening junk food, heart-mugging fats, allergens, carcinogens, engineered genes, and esoteric chemicals – things you can hardly pronounce without a PhD.

  Why do we do this? Why do we so thoroughly police our food intake? Because we want to stay healthy. In other words, we want to avoid death. Good Health = Life; Bad Health = the opposite of life…or Death.

  Can I ask though? Why is it we’re nearly obsessed with what we put into our mouths, yet pay little attention to what we put into our minds? Which one really is more important? Which one has greater ramifications? Most of all, which one is God most concerned about? So which one should we be the most concerned about?

  Please understand what I’m saying. We need to be concerned about what we eat and taking care of our bodies…“temple maintenance.” Yet, in our food, physical body obsessed culture, we’d do well to heed the words of the Apostle Paul, “while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).  So how can “train ourselves in godliness”?

  First, you have to eat right. Please understand that what our Heavenly Father wants most of all desires to have with us is a relationship, not some legalistic ritual. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. It has all the instructions that we need to live a successful life.

  Most of us have received a few love letters. When Jane and I were dating, and she’d write me a letter. I’d read, re-read and re-read that letter. I have nearly every letter that Jane wrote when we were dating. When we love someone we want to hear what they have to say. We hang on every word. That’s how we need to approach God’s Word. We need to hang on every word and let it bathe our souls with God’s love and goodness. 

  Sadly, most of us are like me when it comes to instructions, particularly on how to put something together. I absolutely hate reading instructions. When we buy a shelf or desk that needs to be put together, I just want to jump in. It’s only because of marital confidentiality some dingbat messes I’ve made over the years will never be told. Fortunately, I out-married myself and Jane actually takes the time to read and comprehend the instructions. But if I’ll take the time and read the instructions, and comprehend them, even a two left handed twit like me can put most things together.

  Do you know that I meet Christians all the time who fail to simply read God’s instructions? Then, they wonder why they don’t have inner peace or are depressed or bored or dissatisfied with their life. They won’t take the time to read the instructions. Can I get real radical? Most Christians would have much more fulfilling marriages, family lives, work, leisure, and church life – if they’d just read God’s Instruction Book on a regular basis. Instead, some of them pay a therapist to tell them (though the therapist may not even know it) what God’s Word says about how to have a fulfilled life.

  Second, you have to communicate. Does your Heavenly Father know what you need? Absolutely! Do you know what’s amazing? He wants to hear from us. God wants to hear from me and you, peons as far as this world is concerned, as much as He wants to hear from presidents, kings, queens, celebs and stars of this world. There’s no special line on God’s prayer chain. And do you know the two words that God loves to hear, more than any other, “Thank You!” Recently, I’ve been focusing on more ways to praise God. I’m ashamed to admit that I find it easer to pray (make my requests) than I do to praise.

  Third, you have to exercise. The most miserable individuals in nearly every church have one common trait – they’re good sitters. You’ll find that they can tell you all the things wrong in their lives and often everything wrong in everyone else’s and even everything wrong in the church. They’re not ministers; they’re missionaries of misery. Do you want to grow in your faith? Serve the Lord and serve Him by serving others.

  There’s a reason our world is so unhappy. It’s so self-absorbed. The most common pronouns in miserable people’s vocabularies are: I, me, my and mine. Joy, fulfillment and meaning are spelled with “you” and “them.”

  Fourth, you must have relationships. God designed us for community. A healthy church, a healthy Christian is one who has meaningful relationships with other believers. God never intended for church to be “our one hour” and we scoot. It’s as we interact, pray with one another, serve one another, that we grow. Now that’s not usually comfortable. You’re going to find people in a small group who will drive you crazy…just like, (I know this will come as a shock) you drive them crazy. But that’s how God designed for us to grow.

  Most of us, particularly when we’re in middle age, have settled out in our marriage and relationships with our children. We usually are no longer challenged and are no longer growing. Our spouse or children have taken a que sera, sera attitude with us (what will be, will be). In a smaller group, they haven’t bought our song and dance. They’ll challenge us and we in turn will challenge them, and then something wonderful and profoundly spiritual happens. Even old geezer Chistians find that they are still “training themselves in godliness” and keep growing. But the older we are in our faith (not necessarily mature), the more tempted we are to settled in our Christian walk. That’s not God’s goal for us and it’s spiritually devastating for us. God, in His love, is not satisfied until you and I are conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29).

  In 2014, change your eating and exercise routines, but remember that will only help for this life. So focus on doing something that will really make a difference both for now and eternity. Commit to “training yourself in godliness.”