A Pastor in The Northwest

This morning, I read a devotional entry that made me ponder a little about taking risks. People take risks all the time, right? From thrill seekers to financial entrepreneurs to artists and writers putting their hearts out for the world to see and people stepping out in faith believing God will come through for them.  It makes me wonder what risks I am taking these days.  It's like the old Latin phrase carpe diem made popular by the movie Dead Poets Society and the teacher played by Robin Williams. Now I'm not really talking about taking foolish risks but calculated risks. The risks like believing someone is being honest, God will do something amazing, and getting out of my comfort zone to achieve the greater good. Maybe the question I need to ask God in all this is, "Lord, what can I do for your kingdom today?" I believe we can trust God even when we can't see the whole picture - we can indeed step out in faith with confidence! Faith  shows the reality of what w...

The author of Ecclesiastes wrote this a long, long time ago: 6  For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. 7  For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8  No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death   The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ec 8:6–8). (2016). Crossway Bibles. Messiah Jesus echoed this in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6: 34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.   The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 6:34). (2016). Crossway Bibles. So, don't worry about the future because we can't know it and can't do anything about it anyway. That's unfortunate, right? It is as if the Scriptures want us to be focused on the present and living hopeful for God's hand in the future. Easy to say but hard to live out! I don't know about you, but, when I ge...

As we get into the new year, I've been diving deep into the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus - what Bible scholars call 'The Pastoral Epistles." I find these quite helpful in my role with our church family. So, the other day I read this from 2 Timothy 2:11-13: 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12  if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13  if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. [The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (2 Ti 2:11–13). (2016). Crossway Bibles.] What I find encouraging is that God's faithfulness is never contingent upon our ability to be faithful. The Bible Knowledge Commentary states, "True children of God cannot become something other than children, even when disobedient and weak. Christ's faithfulness to Christians is not based on their faithf...

As I write this, the morning sunshine is peaking through my office windows and I'm in awe. The sky is blue, there are high clouds and it is cold but clear. Spending my hour in prayer walking earlier was so life giving and refreshing that I didn't want it to end. Days like this draw me to focus on this created earth. I realize, however, that I can sometimes forget WHO is behind it all - the great designer, artist, and Creator Almighty God. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...and it was good, very good!" -Genesis There is a danger to us over focusing on the created rather than the Creator. As Paul David Tripp has written, "Creation was never designed to satisfy your heart. Creation was made to be one big finger pointing you to the One who alone as the ability to satisfy your heart. Many people will get up today and ins some way ask creation to be their savior, that is, to give them what only God is able to give." May we all be looking ...

Love this quote: Bishop N. T. Wright of Durham has written, “The whole point of what -Jesus was up to was that he was doing close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term in the future. And what he was promising for that future and doing in the present was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing -people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose — ​and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that large project.” Photo by Hunter Haley on Unsplash

So we step into a new year soon and I wonder, am I ready for 2025? I guess in 2025 we'll get a new Mission Impossible movie along with a new Karate Kid and a new Superman movie.  What else is coming? More digital-based living? Driverless taxis in big cities? More flexible workplace arrangements for people? Apparently, one thing is ending - Microsoft's support of Windows 10...hmmm. Here are a few questions I'm thinking about today: What do I want to be different this year? What do I start doing, stop doing, or do better? How can I grow and mature more spiritually? Is there anything BIG I'd love to see God do in my life in 2025? What BOLD things can I pray and believe Jesus for? Maybe you could choose a word for your new year like one of these: Resilient Stronger Present Reflective Kind I'm not sure what this year will bring but I'm always an optimist about hope, so, I leave you with this from Romans 12:11-13: Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, ser...

I read a quote today about prayer that I found both encouraging and challenging from the archives of the great C.H. Spurgeon: "Oh, that Christian men would remember this! Perseverance in prayer is necessary to prevalence in prayer!   Those great intercessors, who are not so often mentioned as they ought to be in connection with confessors and martyrs, were nevertheless the grandest benefactors of the Church; but it was only by abiding at the mercy-seat that they attained to be such channels of mercy to men. We must pray to pray, and continue in prayer that our prayers may continue." -Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 359–360). The Oriental Missionary Society. Prayer has been one of those difficult practices for modern Christ-followers (like me!) to pursue. With so many tools and media and options out there, we distract ourselves with activity and often fail to just stop, get on our knees (metaphorically or actually!) and talk with and listen to God. I think we...