Why Is the Church in America Shrinking?

 Let me start out by saying this is a complex issue, you can't just point out one or two things and it is the silver bullet. There are also individuals much smarter than I am who have written and studied this problem extensively. I want to give you what I see as some of the biggest issues of the church, and suggest these are some of the issues we see.

We are living in a post-church age, where it is normal for people to not attend church. Most of the history of the United States, people just went to church. In the 60s, there was a shift that began and over the next 60 years, church enrollment has declined. The Jesus Movement of the 70s helped some, and some organizations like Promise Keepers have worked to support outreach, but the trend continues downward. I think there are some things that have supported this.

First, churches are pretending like it isn't happening. Most churches have continued on as if things are great, and there have been very few adjustments. The adjustments that we have made, I don't think, have been the best. As church membership has fallen away, many of the smaller and medium-sized churches have died and closed their doors, and we have seen the rise of the mega-church. I am not here to bash on the mega-church, it has done a lot of good, but just as much harm. It has created a culture of "consumer-based" Christianity, where the church is a combination of a concert, a nice message, some quality coffee, free child care, and a social gathering. Faith is not really required, and commitment is optional. Most mega-churches have a back door that is as big as the front door, and many of the people who attend never really commit and leave just as easily as they came.

The next problem is leadership. Not the leadership of the church, but the principle of leadership. Sure, leadership is important, but it has become the golden calf of churches. Leadership has become an idol, people love to be in charge. When someone wants to be in charge but can't, they go to one of a couple of places. They run for the city council or the school board. When that doesn't work, they find a way to become in charge of an HOA, and they find a leadership position in the church. So many places we find in the New Testament that leadership is supposed to be gracious, servant, giving, and gentile. That's not what we get, we have the CEO, Captain, General, Commander type leadership. I would dare say many church leaders do not know Jesus, they know leadership, and they just want to be in charge. Combine this with the mega church model, and you have leaders who want a big church, but not really Jesus. Joel Osteen, anyone? Without leadership who is sold out to Jesus, who is preaching Jesus, lives are not being changed, and the church is optional.

Next, gossip. In America, we love gossip. We have TV shows and magazines dedicated to gossip. In the church, we are more interested in talking about someone's struggles than we are about helping them through them. The culture at large loves it when a Christian falls. People right now know who Michael Tait is who have never heard of DC Talk or Newsboys. If you Google his name, the first thing you will see is the dirt and the gossip. Sure, we need to hold people accountable, but quietly and out of love and for the purpose of restoration. That's not what we do, we destroy people. We see people destroyed because of sin, and then we realize we have sin. I have messed up, and I don't want that plastered all over my church, do you? People stop going to church because they don't want their mistakes making the front page of the bulletin. People are afraid to be condemned.

My last point, we have left evangelism to the church. It used to be that people came to church to hear about Jesus, but not people aren't coming to church, so they aren't hearing about Jesus. We don't have outreach like we need, and church members are not sharing their faith. I know it's hard, that is why I wrote a book about it, to help make a plan and make it easier. It's still hard, but it has to happen. Christians have to find ways to share their faith outside the church, because people are no longer coming into the church. America has become more of a mission field than ever before, and we have to take missionary mindsets. People need to see their need for the church, because right now they don't.

Now, this isn't an exhaustive list, there are more reasons, and some that are church or area-specific. This is just a few places that I see big, glaring holes in the way the modern American church is operating. You can add lots of things, such as the way churches have abandoned the Bible, kids leaving after graduating, the moral decline due to social media, and all sorts of other reasons. My point is, these things we can work on in our churches today, and my prayer is to begin moving towards a society that values the gathering on Sunday morning for prayer, worship, and growth.

Be Careful Who Your Teacher Is

 During the 1st centry, there we no shortages of "messiahs". The Jewish people knew the Messiah was coming, but they got it mixed up a little. They assumed the Messiah would be a political leader, conquering Rome and setting Israel up as the strongest nation. In reality, Jesus came to conquer the empire of sin, not Rome, but that's another blog. Jesus was The Messiah, but many claimed the title. This continues even to today, where many claim to be divine, have special divine knowledge. Jesus told us this would happen. Paul and John both wrote this would happen. Leaders and false teachers have existed since the beginning. Today is no different.

I have an author's page on Tiktok, and the first comment I got was one of these false teachers. They decided to "correct my theology" and then spouted some crazy stuff about Christianity not having any connection to God. I am not sure if he was a Jewish mystic or just a strange Christian-Jewish hybrid or a gnostic, or just someone who watched too many youtube videos. The fact remains that heretics and false teachers are everywhere. They will attempt to tell you things that lead you away from the faith. They will attempt to connect parts of scripture in an intracit web to twist the truth to justify their belief system.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

I'm A Good Person, So Will I Go To Heaven?

 This is probably the most believed thing for most Americans today. The belief that 1. our trip to Heaven is earned by good behavior and 2. we are good and deserve to go. Both statements are false. I can say that with no hesitation because the Bible say it.

No one is good. Don't believe me? 

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11     no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.” Romans 3:10-12 (ESV).

Jesus said the same thing. He said no one is good but God. You are not a good person, nor am I. Sure, I do good things, but on my own, they are for me. I do good because I feel obligated, because it helps me feel good, because I get clout, to impress someone. We are all selfish, as deep as it goes. If we are not good, then what about Heaven? Can I be good enough to go to Heaven?

Here is the fact. Jesus came, Emmanuel, God with us, the Divine Incarnation. God became a man, came to Earth, lived for 33 years, and then died a horrible, agonizing death to pay the penalty for sin. Know why He did that? It was to pay the debt that you owe because of the things you have done in violation of God's laws. He didn't do it just in case you aren't good enough on your own. He did it because you aren't. You can't earn Heaven.

Your sin is too great, and you have nothing of value. You can't make it to Heaven by your behavior. You need Jesus to get you to Heaven. Here is how it works. The Holy Spirit is going to show you (the Biblical word is convict) of your sins. Once that happens, you will understand what I am saying. You will see how holy God is and how far off you are. If that hasn't happened, I will pray that it does for you, and I recommend you pray and ask God to show you. To send the Holy Spirit to show you and convict you. Once that happens, once you see yourself for who you are because of the work of the Holy Spirit, you will cry out to God for forgiveness, and he will forgive you because of what Jesus did.

There are some Biblical things that go with this, like Romans 10:9, if you confess that Jesus is your Lord and savior and believe that He died and rose from the dead, you are saved (Dan paraphrase). This happens when you are convicted by the Holy Spirit.

He is the truth, and it is hard for lots of us. Many of us have been lied to, saying you can just choose Jesus. Well, you can't. We have been lied to that if we are good people, keep the commandments, go to church, pray, do all the things, we will go to Heaven. Well, you won't. This is the fact, and Jesus said it. Unless you repent, you will perish. Luke 13. You must repent, and good people don't need to repent, but you are not a good person. You are either a sinner or a sinner saved by grace.

The last bit of bad news, that after reading this, you still think you have been good enough to go to Heaven, your final destination is not Heaven. Church can't get you there, doing all the things won't get you there. Pray and ask God to show you that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and when you are confronted with the holiness of God and you cry out for grace and forgiveness, then you can trust you are on your way to Heaven.

Let me know if I can pray with you.

Can you help me out?

 Hey everyone,

    So, as I have taken this journey of writing and blogging and publishing and podcasting and all the other things, I have found one thing I struggle with. Advertising. I am not much for self promotion, and I don't know how to help people find my resources. I want to do something simple today, if you will please help me out.

First, if you simply comment on this post, where you saw this post. It can be simple like "facebook" or "x" so I can see where my traffic is coming from. I am not asking you to subscribe or put your info, I am not using this for any other purpose, you can be anonymous, but I need help. I have studied English, Theology, and Education, and I don't know much about marketing.

Thank you!

Getting Back to the Focus- Let's Talk Theology

Hey everyone, I've used this blog as an outlet and platform to discuss various topics. I have not been ashamed to say that this blog exists to allow me to write and work on becoming a better writer. That being said, I do have an agenda, and that is to write about, think about, and unpack theological ideas. The title of the blog is "Woven Words and Thoughts" because one of the ways I understand the interaction between God and man, the divine and the moral, the holy and the profane, is something I call wovenism. It's not a new theology; it's an old theology expressed in different terms. I haven't written about it much; I've been all over the place, but it's time to come home, in a manner of speaking. Let's talk theology.

I want to start where things started for me. I was not always on the Calvinist side of the fence. No one really begins there, not those individuals who have an Evangelical background anyway. There is such an emphasis on choice, on personal responsibility, and the language we use is very much focused on the individual doing the work. We use words like "decision" and "invite" to give action to the work of salvation. In many evangelical presentations, God is passive, and the individual being converted is the active participant. God simply offers salvation, and we do the rest in choosing, praying, accepting, surrendering, following, etc. I was very ok with this for a very long time. I was very focused on evangelism; I was passionate about it, and I studied books like "How to Share Jesus without Fear." I read books I was involved in FAITH Sunday School Evangelism. I was involved in the FCA at my High School and the Baptist group (which has undergone three name changes, I believe it's now called Christian Challenge) in college. The more I read and studied, the more confused I became. Here is my confusion:

Whose work is Salvation? Can a person just choose to be saved? Does God have any role in individual salvation, or was it up to me, as the person sharing, and the individual to choose Jesus? That is how I acted, that I had to do all the things right, and if I did, the person would get saved. The problem was, I wasn't that successful. I shared the gospel with people who rejected it, even though I used all these methods from all these people who wrote books. I was struggling, maybe it was me, maybe I was a failure of an evangelist. I studied more, I worked harder, I even wrote a book. I upped my game, I used more pressure when I felt like it was needed, after all, this was the person's eternal life. One day, instead of looking at books about Evangelism, I decided I would read Acts to look for answers, maybe Paul could help. After all, he was the greatest missionary ever, right? Then I read this:

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48

Here is the context. Paul was witnessing to the Jews, and they were rejecting the message, having Paul arrested or beaten, so he said, "Forget it, I'll witness to the Gentiles (non Jews). Then this passage, they rejoiced and the ones appointed to eternal life, they are the only ones who believed. Now I had questions: What does that mean? Appointed by whom? It says clearly they are appointed to eternal life, and some told me "that means that after they are saved, they are appointed to eternal lif,e" but the way the passage is written, that would require them to be saved, then appointed, then believe. Isn't the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead what causes you to be saved? Romans 10:9 seems to indicate that. So they were appointed first, then believed.

This reality started me on a journey of exploration, study, faith, and learning. I want to continue to share that journey with you, so it is time to get back on the path. I am thankful for everyone who joins me, please continue to respectfully interact with me, and we can learn more about God, faith, salvation, and the Bible together.

How In The World Did We Get Here (Politically)?

 I am conservative. To be specific, I am a conservative libertarian and believe in small government, freedom, and the free market. As a conservative, I agree with many of Trump's policies and positions, but some of the things he says, I'm not a fan of. I would like him to be kinder and more relaxed. He seems confrontational just for the sake of being belligerent.

In thinking about Trump, many think he is causing much of the hatred that exists in politics, but I am confident that is not true. I think it is the opposite. The climate of today's politics created Donald Trump's Presidency. It did not begin with Trump, and it won't end with Trump, and chances are, it will create something worse.

Historically, the Republican Party has been the party of your grandfather. The nice old guy with a pocket full of butterscotch candies. The Democrats were young, emotional, and opinionated, and said whatever they felt. The Republicans were polite, not passionate. This was fine until the left moved farther left, and many centrists found themselves on the right. They were not the typical Republicans; they were young and opinionated. They found themselves in the crosshairs of the current liberals because they didn't agree with transgenders in athletes, they disagree with abortion, they don't side with Palestine, and they don't want to get rid of oil and natural gas. They were called racist, sexist, and homophobic. They found themselves in the crosshairs of angry liberals, and when they looked to the existing Republican Party, they found the nice old guy who just took the verbal assault. They viewed the Republican Party as weak and spineless, and they needed someone who represented them.

The current politicians weren't going to do it, so they found a new breed of Republican. Led by Donald Trump, we now have individuals in the party who are not the picture of grandpa with butterscotch candies. They are angry, opinionated, and not going to sit by and be attacked, simply because they are being polite. They hit back, they hit first, they are not just going to take it.

This may be a biased opinion, but the liberals have been the bullies for so long, they didn't know how to take it. They were used to being able to say whatever they wanted, and no one but Rush Limbaugh said much of anything. Republican lawmakers sure didn't, so just the few pundits on the right were easy enough to ignore. After all, most of the legacy media was on the side of the liberals. They were happy with their ability to speak to the angry masses, the minorities, the young people, those who were struggling. They could stand up and yell and scream. Now, there is a sense of rampant disgust at Republicans by the Democrats because the Republicans now act like the Democrats.

Republicans and Democrats have become mean, nasty, cruel, and hateful. This isn't because of a President or elected official, it is mostly from social media. The elected officials are a reflection of the culture. Those in office are a reflection of the society. Why do we have a President who acts the way Trump does? Simple, he was elected in response to the behavior and actions of the Democrats.

This is a hard pill to swallow for many, but the Democrats caused Trump.

When Kindness Bites Back

 I have worked with several organizations that help people, and have personally tried to help people. This isn't a post to brag; lots and lots of people also help others. I have worked alongside these people, working on houses, making beds, handing out school supplies, giving food, packing boxes, and trying to make my community better. There are lots of people with good hearts, and organizations that exist to care for people. These are great, and they need to continue.

Once in a while, when you are helping someone, you find a bad apple. I have seen first hand what happens when you try to help someone who falls into the category. Often they are a bit of a narcissist, and often they used some sort of controlled substance (often meth). These individuals often feel like they are entitled to help and support, and they expect you to give them whatever they want. If they don't get it, they often lash out. They don't have boundaries, and they killed their conscious a long time ago. These individuals will make your life difficult if you do not give them what they want. They exist, and they may show up in your life. They will often go to great lengths to get money, including scamming, extortion, lying, threatening, and theft.

These people exist, but they are not my point. My point today is, keep helping people. These individuals will show up, and they will make things hard for a while, but the world still needs people to do good. Keep moving forward, these individuals will quickly move on if they discover they can't get anything from you. If they attack you, know that is because they see love and compassion in you. They seek to take advantage of that, but that doesn't negate the love and compassion in you. Keep moving forward, seek to do good, even to those who do evil. The world needs it!

What is the Deal with Profanity?

As I finished the school year with my seniors, I asked a couple of questions I wanted them to think about. First, who are you right now? Second, who do you want to be? Not your job, not your position, but who you are as a person. Then I asked them about the way they talk, and I want to open the question up. Why is profanity so prevalent in our society?

If someone were talking to you and used the f-word over and over. They constantly swore in their conversation, what are your thoughts about that person? Do you think, "Wow, they are really educated"? Do you think "they are so well spoken"? Do you have more respect for someone who uses lots of profanity? Do you think they are a good person if they use the f-word over and over?

The reason we call those words "vulgar" is that the vulgar aspects of the language are the aspects used by the poor, uneducated, common folks. It's low class, it is trashy. When you hear people using a lot of profanity, are they associated more with high society or trailer park trash? Be honest with yourself, how do you think about people who swear often?

My students agreed that profanity makes us think less of a person. We think rude, disrespectful, uneducated, and unrefined. We don't think highly of people who swear a lot, so why do so many people use it? Does it make you better to swear? Does it make you a more well-spoken individual? Does it make others respect you? Do you seem tough, strong, mature, or wise? What advantage is had by using profanity?

The bigger question is, why do so many people use it so often? What is the purpose of using profanity? Why do we start using it, why do we continue to use it, and why is it so prevalent in our society? Does it demonstrate our collective ignorance or anger, or just a lack of imagination in our vocabulary? Does it simply show how Americans (and Western society) are unoriginal and just do what everyone else does? Do we just do it because we feel like being "cool", that is how we are supposed to talk?

Do you use profanity? If so, why?

Why is Kindness so Rare?

 Like most individuals, I spend time on Facebook. I really like Facebook Marketplace, but I am on some sites for local news and information. On those local sites, I have found a great many of them are dedicated to people just being hateful to each other. It seems to be the default these days on social media, to insult and be hateful to one another. It is just how people respond and communicate these days. It can be pretty toxic, and I have often wondered why people are so quick to be hateful.

I spend my time in two very specific circles, the classes I teach and the church I Pastor. There is some good-natured roasting in my classes, but the kids all seem to generally like each other and get along. I don't allow cruelty in my classroom. Most of my students are good-natured, and there isn't much of an issue most days. There is the occasional conflict that we solve pretty quickly. We laugh more than anything.

At church, of course, there is very little hatefulness. Where I currently pastor, we all get along very well, and conflict is almost non-existent. This isn't the case in every church, but we are fortunate. Our church genuinely cares about one another, and there is healthy cooperation and communication. At church, we definitely don't assume the worst in people, and there is no venomous hatred like we see on Facebook.

When I find myself outside of my typical areas, I have seen excessive hatred. Sometimes you see it in the retail world, with people being angry about not getting their way. You sometimes see it in restaurants or other places in the public square. You see it constantly on social media. It seems to be a place where anger and hostility boil over, and individuals have no restraint. The only place you see the same level of hostility is when people are driving. Go too slow, too fast, or wait too long at a stop sign, and you will see what I mean. Put people behind the wheel of a car, and Dr. Jekyll is quickly replaced with Mr. Hyde. Why are people so angry? I have a few thoughts.

First is the obvious: people are unhappy with their lives. In our consumer-driven, self-focused society, people are angry. People want more than they have, want to be comfortable and happy, and never bothered or inconvenienced. Those things are impossible to have all of the time. They are disappointed in their wages, the cost of living, taxes, the government, the weather, and anything else that seems to cause a problem. People no longer know how to deal with disappointment, with hardship, with not getting their way, so they are angry and unhappy. People feel victimized and targeted all the time, and if they spend time on social media, they probably are. People are treated badly by others, so they are unhappy. In today's society, people are miserable because they have no idea how not to be.

Contentment is a skill; it is something you learn. No person will ever be completely satisfied; there are some things outside of your control. No matter how much money you have, no matter how successful or famous you are, you can't save yourself from heartbreak and disappointment. It is going to happen and the things and stuff will not bring comfort. Sitting on a pile of money will not mend a broken heart. Bottom line, the most successful people still lose sometimes, even the healthiest people die, and nothing can save a person from hurt. We have stopped teaching how to deal with adversity. We have tried to help everyone have good self-esteem and self-image, but we created a community full of narcissists who feel like they should never have to struggle. The result is anger and the constant battle cry of "this isn't fair" when in reality, struggle and pain are the only fair things, because they are the only things that come on all of us.

In addition to people not knowing how to deal with adversity, people have become extremely selfish. I call this the selfie generation. When I was growing up, I only saw myself when I was standing in front of a mirror. Most cameras had to get film developed, unless you had one of the instant cameras. We didn't stare at ourselves, and filters didn't exist. Today, many people spend a lot of time looking at themselves, taking selfies with filters on. They are constantly airbrushed like a magazine model, and they have become quite full of themselves. People feel like they are the best, should have the best, and are the most important. Selfishness is at an all-time high. The selfie generation loves itself a little too much.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, people are not naturally kind. Kindness and politeness have to be taught. Toddlers do not share instinctively; they have to be taught. People must be taught to be kind, and it is a skill that is taught less and less today. Parents who are unkind raise children who are unkind. Hateful people spread hate to others. Our society does not value kindness, goodness, gentleness unless it is in other people. Many people expect others to treat them well and with respect, but they refuse to reciprocate. Everyone has expectations that they will be treated better than they treat others, and it is not difficult to see the end result. Disrespectful people are not respected, and lash out and act badly. The disrespect breeds disrespect, and the cycle continues. The golden rule has become antique, obsolete, and neglected, and the result is a self-centered and hate-filled society.

The answer is simple, but very difficult. Be kind to people who are unkind. Show respect to the disrespectful. Give compassion and grace. It will require you to be abused, to be treated unfairly, and for you to not get your way. It will be hurtful and difficult, and you will feel like you are being walked on. The only way society will change is to have people strong enough to handle it. Weak people lash out in anger and hatred; strong people withstand the storm. Our society has become emotionally weak, egos are fragile, and people are broken. Strong people are required, and strength is built and earned; it is not given. We have to become strong to stem the tide of hatred that is threatening to devour our country.

Should We Argue with Non-Believers?

 If you are a Christian and have been on social media, you know there are lots of non-believers who love to argue. In my book Purpose Driven Outreach, I talk about types of unbelievers, and the first type is the opposer. These individuals have a viewpoint that is in opposition to the Christian faith. Sometimes it is another faith, but most of the time, these are atheistic people. Just today, as I was looking at the comments on a post on Biblical roles of manhood and womanhood, there was one individual who was militant in his opposition to the Bible, to its teachings. Of course, an idea like Biblical family roles will already generate controversy. This individual was not content to stick with the subject matter, but attack the Bible and faith.

As a Christian, what do we do with these people? There are a few passages that I rely on to deal with these individuals. We know from scripture that foremost the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are not saved. (I Corinthians 1:18). They will not understand grace. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us the Satan blinds the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see. Without the work and power of the Holy Spirit doing a work in the hearts of the unbeliever, they will reject faith. No amount or arguing or fighting will ever convince them, because grace comes through faith, not intellectual superiority or winning a fight. No one gets argued to faith in Christ.

Am I saying you should never debate these individuals? No, not at all. There is definitely a right time to have these conversations, and we should. 1 Peter 3:15 says we should always be ready to give a defense. Not first, that is defense, not offense. Giving a defense is respectfully telling someone why you believe. If the person you are talking to is being combative, argumentative, rude, and hateful, I think it is wise to disengage with that individual. There is nothing good that comes out of getting into a mud throwing contest with someone without moral restraints.

So here are my rules for when to get into it. First, my primary rule is not about talking to the opposer, but the individuals who are witnessing the exchange. We, as more mature believers, need to be aware of those weaker in their faith. We need to show that the Christian faith is defensible, is sound, it solid. It has been under attack for 2,000 years, and a random antagonistic atheist has zero chance of changing that fact. Faith in Christ has survived lions, beheading, crucifixion, the stake, and torture of all kinds. An angry atheist will not stop it. We don't need to convince the atheist of that fact, because he or she will never understand unless they are convicted by the Holy Spirit, because salvation is the work of God. Now, don't hear what I'm not saying, I am not saying that in some instances, the Holy Spirit can't enlighten the heart of the atheist and that individual can suddenly repent and come to faith. It has happened. It happened to Lee Strobel, an investigative journalist who set out to disprove the Christian faith who eventually came to faith. It can happen, so we do preach Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, and the forgiveness of our sin through grace by faith. Our goal is that everyone hears, but be more mindful of those in the audience than the atheist. Like Pharogh, the atheist has usually been given over to their own depravity, which is why they are so militant and angry.

We give a defense to protect those younger in their faith. We give a defense in the opportunity to have the crowd hear and those who are listening, they have the opportunity to hear the message. The Holy Spirit works through the preaching and teaching of believers, that is why Paul says "faith comes by hearing"  in Romans 10:17. We preach and teach, people here and the Holy Spirit works on them through their hearing.

As a followers of Christ, we also take a stand for the things we believe to be right. I will take a stand for the rights of the unborn. I believe they are people who are created in the image of God and have the right to life. I will defend that belief. I will defend the right to religious liberty, and I met with many school leaders when I worked in youth and college ministry to defend the right for students to have a See You At the Pole rally or a Bible Study before or after school. When I was in High School, we started the FCA I was involved in, and an atheist teacher asked me if he could start a Fellowship of Pagan Athletes. When I told him that was what the 1st amendment was for, he simply walked away because his separation of church and faith argument didn't stick. We defend the rights of people from those individuals who would seek to take away their rights.

If you want to learn more, check out my book Purpose Driven Outreach to learn more about the types of individuals we find when we share our faith, the levels of openness to the Gospel, and ways we can make a plan to deal with these situations. It is available on Amazon, link on the blog page.

Are You a Good Person?

 Today, I want to talk pragmatically more than theologically. There is a simple answer to my question: No, you are not a good person. You are either a sinner or a sinner saved by grace, who is redeemed and has goodness as a result of the Holy Spirit working in you. Today I want to talk about actions and behaviors.

This post was prompted by an action this morning. I was walking towards a door, and a young man who seemed to be in a hurry stopped and opened the door for me. It was a kind gesture, and it impressed me. I don't know this young man, but I was struck by his willingness to do a good thing. (If you have a theological issue with that statement, see again the first paragraph). I am not making a judgment to the state of this young man's soul, and good works alone won't get us to heaven, but he did a kind thing, and Jesus commends that. He says that a cup of cold water, a small favor for someone, to a disciple they will receive a reward. 

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Matthew 10:42 (ESV)

Back to the pragmatism. We live in a world where kindness is a rare commodity. Even being kind sometimes has consequences. I opened the door one time for a young woman who stopped and looked at me, and stated, "I have a boyfriend". I then walked into the store because I was disgusted at the behavior. Selfishness and narcissism are prevalent in our society, it has become an epidemic. Here are some questions we each need to be asking ourselves.

1. Are we willing to sacrifice a little time and effort to help someone else?

2. Are we doing the right thing, even when there is no reward?

3. Are we willing to help others when it is hard or an inconvenience?

4. Are we doing things only because of what is in it for us?

Little things you can ask yourself. Would you stop if you are in a hurry to open the door for someone? Would you give up your weekend to help someone move or repair their home? Do you put your shopping cart away or just leave it in the parking lot? Do you drive like everyone else should move out of your way because you are the most important person on the road? Do you wait your turn or find ways to skip the line? Do you feel you are entitled to the work, effort, or time of another person? Do you insult people on social media if they don't agree with you? Do you judge others by the way they look? All these things can help us asking the question, "what kind of person am I?"

If you are a follower and believer in Jesus Christ, these are all areas that you should either be kind of becoming kind. There are part of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. You will find joy and faithfulness added when you live them out. If you look around, you will see society is falling apart in many ways, and like my dad told me, you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. Be like the young man this morning.

Master's Done!

 It has been a minute since I wrote on my blog. By a minute, I mean more than a year. I was involved in another Master's program. I have my first Master's in Educational Leadership and I have just completed my Master's in English. That program took a great deal of my attention, so I haven't written much elsewhere. Some of my other projects had to take a back seat to the papers I wrote for class. My thesis is complete and I have completed all the work and projects for the class.

Here are a few of the things I will be working on, and I am hoping it translates to more blog writing. First, I will be teaching a college class at the high school next year. I will be teaching Composition to seniors, so they can finish college comp before they even graduate high school. Next, I will be beginning a podcast with my best friend Greg and my son-in-law Nate. One of the aspects of the podcast will be a blog, and I will probably post those both at the Real Life site (coming soon) and on here. I will be working to publicise my two existing books, working on a fiction book (details to come). I have some TikTok stuff going, that blew up kind of by accident. Might be creating one that is more theologically focused.

Thanks to everyone for being on my rather choppy journey. I know it has been a lot of stop and go along the way. I have a tendency to get a lot of irons in the fire, so I am trying to prioritize and make good decisions. I look forward to the new adventures, hope you'll come along with me! Blessings everyone.