spiritual growth - Jeremiah's Vow

Lent 2022 | Day 2: Prayer

God is not merely interested in hearing what we have to ask of him. God is interested in speaking to us.

1. The purpose of prayer is to position our minds and hearts according to God’s purposes

There are many misconceptions about what the purpose of prayer is. Enacted because we have not fully appreciated the lesson that Jesus gave to his own disciples when they asked about the subject. Often times when we think about prayer we see it as one-way communication. That means that we are the ones speaking and God is the one listening. But this misses an important aspect of the relationship we have a God.

The reality is that God is not merely interested in hearing what we have to ask of him. Even though he invites us to do it. We have to recognize that God is interested in speaking to us. That doesn’t mean we will always find it easy to hear what he has to say. But God has spoken. And God will continue to speak. The question is will we recognize his voice when he does?

This is what prayer seeks to find an answer for. Not only can we communicate with God and to God what is on our hearts and in our minds, but God can speak to us and share with us what he feels we must know.

2. The reality of prayer can be difficult when we merely desire for God to satisfy our whims

Related to the purpose of prayer is understanding that prayer can at times be difficult. God is not some divine Santa Claus who is sitting in heaven waiting for his children to offer him all the reasons he should fulfill their requests. That is not what prayer should be. And yet many of us have made it that or something similar.

There is a deeper reality that God is seeking to create within us. And that is to make us and conform us into the image of his son Jesus Christ. That we might live in accordance with his purposes and fulfill his will. So how has God determined to provide us this information? Through a listening for the prompting of his Spirit as our ears have been trained through the reading of his word.

The Bible serves us as teacher to train our ears to recognize the voice of God. When we merely read the Scripture to increase our knowledge we silence what God is trying to say through his revealed word. Yes, we can learn from the Scripture, but I think it is more important that we learn to listen by the Scriptures.

3. The power of prayer is found when we surrender our will to that of God’s.

There is a power to prayer that is oftentimes left unused and unseen. The power of prayer will be experienced when we are no longer trying to cajole God into doing what we want. When we stop and listen and learn what it is God desires we become more able to do what God has revealed to us.

Of the many challenges associated with praying, one of the greatest is understanding that when we surrender our limited understanding to God’s infinite wisdom we will come out better in the end. And so prayer functions in our lives to reveal those areas of our lives where we are not truly surrendered to God’s will.

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Lent 2020 | Day 22: “Listen”

Regardless of the thing that has increased this awareness, what I have noticed is that we are listening more.

With everything happening, it has been interesting to see what people have become more aware of. For some people it’s their relationships. For others it was how much time was dedicated to one activity or another. For some it has been how unprepared or how prepared they were for a hardship.

Regardless of the thing that has increased this awareness, what I have noticed is that we are listening more. Not just half-heartedly paying attention. That is still happening I’m sure. But I find that more people are actually listening to friends, family, their heart, and most importantly God.

One of the greatest challenges in life is to be present in the moment. And now that the majority of the world is being asked to stay indoors we are not being distracted as often as we normally are. There is only so much you can do when you are confined to you home. You have to get creative. You have to really pay attention to what you really want, not just to pass the time. But to fulfill you soul. You can only do this when you listen.

As we continue preparing for Easter morning, I would encourage us to be more intentional in our listening. To really make an effort to do the hard work of staying in the moment. If we do, we may just learning something we have need to learn for a while. But never gave ourselves the time to accept.

The Power of Wise Counsel

What do you do when you rant? Most people just let it rip. But, that is not my style…usually.

Well yesterday, I wrote something that was pretty “rant-y”. I wrote it, and was about to hit “publish.” But something said I should check with a few people first.

Well, I did and as a result I put the rant in the trash.

One of the lessons of living in this period in history is the reality that once we put something out there, it is impossible to take it back. That is true of inter-personal relationships and it is true of social media.

We are all learning. We are all capable of saying encouraging and beautiful things. But, there is a “bonehead” living in each of us. And, from time to time they want to get out. We just can’t let them.

When I heard back from the people I sought counsel from, I was disappointed. I wanted them to tell me to let it rip. But they didn’t. They told me what they believed was right and wrong with my rant. And the wrong outweighed the right. It would not have produced the effect I wanted.

To be honest, I wanted to say it. But, in the end, wise counsel won out. Wanting to do something is not justification enough to do something foolish.

Now, my “rant” was pretty mild as far as rants go. But it would not have been helpful or kind. It would have felt good, but it would not have advanced the conversation. So, rather than put something out there that I would second guess, I hit delete.

The lesson for me was twofold. First, if you have access to wise counselors, use them. When you do you everyone benefits from it, not just you.

Second, don’t take it personally when what you hear back is not what you wanted. If you trust your counselors, trust their counsel. Pride is a dangerous friend and an even worse counselor.

I am still growing. Still learning. Still in need of reminders that just because it popped in my head does not mean that it needs to escape my lips.

Lent 2019 | Day 23: Silence

Silence provides us with time to listen and reflect.

I grew up in a loud house. It was the house where everyone talked at the same time. And, if you were not careful, it turned into a competition of who could our shout the person next to them. It was fun, but it also could be hectic!

As the years have passed, I find myself less inclined to be loud. (I’m still loud, so don’t misunderstand.) What I mean is that I have learned to appreciate the silent moments of life. I have learned to enjoy them.

Silence provides us with time to listen and reflect. Time to turn our attention inward and take a look at what is happening in our hearts and minds. That is if you are willing to look at what you may find.

I have known many people who have had fear about looking in, about addressing issues and past hurts. It can be hard, but it is also necessary for there to be growth and healing. Most things we can handle on our own, but a few we have to seek counsel and help with.

I want to encourage you to spend time in silence. Not to mull things over and become anxious, but to take stock of where things are and decide to move forward. The noise of life can get loud and it will take some silence to hear from God and chart a path.

The Pastor’s Greatest Enemy

It was one of the most pronounced encounters with the Holy Spirit of my life because I knew that I had crossed a line in my relationship with God.

I have shared this story in a couple of places, but I will share it again here for those who may not be familiar with it. It is the best example I have of what can happen to those of us called to vocational ministry if we are not watchful over our lives. I actually give thanks to God for his grace in teaching me through the events you will read below about how wrong my thinking was with regard to my place in God’s great plan.

I was 19 years old and had accepted the position as Interim Pastor of a small, country church. I want to say from the outset that this was a wonderful church filled with some of the finest folks I have ever known. This is not a story about them exactly even though God used the intersection of our paths to teach me an important lesson.

My responsibilities were to preach on Sunday morning and evening and to teach a Wednesday night bible study. At the time I was trying to figure out what I should be doing because I knew God had called me into full-time ministry. At the campus ministry where I was involved, I saw an advertisement had been posted for someone to come and preach. After some “encouragement” (a story for another day) I called and made plans to go and preach. For the next three weeks, I was asked to return and preach the following week. After the fourth week, I told the members (all 7 of them) that I would continue to preach until they were able to find someone to take over the position full-time. I was still in school and did not feel that I should take on the church.

Everything was going wonderfully (or so I thought). After several months I was growing frustrated because I felt that my talents were being wasted in this small, country church. I decided to vent to my dad as I was driving home one Wednesday night. I can’t remember if I actually said these words, but they capture the sentiment from which I was speaking. To summarize, I was essentially telling my dad, “I am too good for this place.”

Even now as I write those words it is shocking how pretentious and arrogant they are. But that is how I was feeling at the ripe old age of 20. My dad reminded me that I wouldn’t be there forever; that God was using that small church to help teach me some things about preaching and ministry. I don’t remember everything he said, but I do remember not being entirely satisfied with his words.

A few days later it was Sunday again. The service was going as normal. We typically sang a song before the message and this morning a song I had never heard before was chosen. It is called “Little Is Much If God Is In It” by Kittle L. Suffield.

Here is a rendition of that song by The Gaither Vocal Band.

They do a much better version of the song than I heard that day. However, I can tell you, as God is my witness, I will never forget how the Holy Spirit used that moment and that song to absolutely take a wrecking ball to my pride.

In particular, the second verse brought on me such a heavy weight of conviction after the things I had said and thought in the days prior, that I began to weep. I lost all control. It was one of the most pronounced encounters with the Holy Spirit of my life because I knew that I had crossed a line in my relationship with God. I could not deny it and I accepted the burden of my shame. I had not only been disobedient, I had become rebellious against God’s purposes in my life.

The second verse goes like this:

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Refrain:
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.

After that day, I made a promise to God. I told God that I would NEVER hold back in my preaching or shy away from any opportunity to share the Gospel. I promised to never look at the numbers and determine how good I was going to preaching. If all I was called to preach to were 7 (as was the case in that small church), I would preach with everything within me. And if it was to 700 or 7,000, I would preach with the same energy and passion. I have not gone back on my promise.

If you are a pastor or called to some form of vocational ministry, you have a great enemy. But, that enemy does not exist “out there.” That enemy is that small voice that keeps telling you that some task is beneath you. It is that feeling that you are too good for some assignment or that you are too talented to listen to someone of lesser ability. That is not the posture of a servant of God.

Your calling is a gift to you. God did not have to call you, but he did. But your calling is also a gift to those to whom you are sent. When you accept an assignment you are there to take what God has placed within you and share it with others.

That is why when we hold back we are doing harm to both them and us. We harm those we serve because we deny them the best we can offer. And, we harm ourselves because we grieve God with our disobedience, causing a rift in our relationship with him.

I want to encourage you to not give ground or to give in to this enemy. Never forget that where you are is where you are supposed to be. God is at work if we are available to work alongside.

I’ll say this as final thought. It’s something my dad says frequently: “I want to be so available to God that he has no choice but to use me.” That has become a helpful reminder to me.

How about you? How available are you to God?

Confessions of a Functional Deist

Sometimes we assume too much about how far we have traveled down the road of spiritual maturity.

Sometimes we assume too much about how far we have traveled down the road of spiritual maturity. We assume that we have gone farther than we actually have. We talk with too much confidence about what we know; pretend at having more insight than we actually possess; greater wisdom than we have actually attained. I know that has been a part of my story. I have learned a few lessons along the way, but I try and remind myself that if I am not careful I can slip back into bad patterns of living.
Continue reading “Confessions of a Functional Deist”

By a former Youth Student | “Redemption in Community”

This young lady is one of my (former) youth. She was the speaker for the youth Sunday on August 7, 2016 at Cordele First UMC. Continue reading “By a former Youth Student | “Redemption in Community””

Six Strings and a Pick: How Playing Guitar Helped Me See The Risk of Plateau

Over the last year I have been playing regularly with the worship team of my church. This has been less out of some burning desire and more because of a need for a guitarist on the team. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy playing, however, I am not a big fan of playing (or singing for that matter) in front of people.

I have always wanted to play the guitar. My grandfather used to make guitars until he became ill and was unable to do so any longer. There were a couple of samples of guitars that he made in his home and I remember admiring them every time we went to Puerto Rico to visit. There is something about the sound a guitar makes that I just love.

Over the years I have played with moderate measures of satisfaction. I would pick it up for a few months and then quit. Then the urge would hit me again and I would work on developing those calluses again. That is always the toughest part, getting your fingers used to the strings. But, after about a week the focus shifts to playing rather than surviving each practice session.

This last go round I have been playing consistently three to four days a week for about an hour or two each time. That is a lot of playing. The reason I share this brief history is due to a conversation I had with the worship pastor of our church. We were talking, and as most good conversations go, we touched on a variety of subjects. As we talked we were discussing the reasons why people do things in life and the catalysts for growth in our individual journeys.

Then, it hit me. The reason I was getting better was not because I was playing more. This does contribute, but that was not a sufficient explanation. I realized that the longer we do something the easier it gets to do. However, to limit any improvement to time served, as it were, would be somewhat shorted sighted. There were two fundamental reasons I was getting better. First, I had to. Second, I wanted to.

Why did I have to? The needs of the worship team required a better guitarist. In order for that to happen, I had to play more and practice more. I had to learn Solfège, songs in two languages and work with two different worship teams because I was it. I had to get better otherwise the worship experience would have been more distracting than uplifting. This is as well and good.

The second reason that I was getting better was because I wanted to. This was the realization I had not considered or recognized until that conversation the other night. Now, this may sound silly, but I hope you understand why this was surprising to me, and should be to you as well. The better we get at something, the greater the desire to be challenged. I did not realize how valuable it was to be confronted with my own growth and realize that there is more to do, more areas where I can experience growth, more opportunities waiting to be explored. I am not going to be a recording artist or impress anyone. I am just trying to push myself a little further. I did not realize that the greatest motivation comes from within us, when we see that there is still untapped potential to be discovered.

What I have realized is that the better I get at anything I practice, the more I am confronted with the risk of plateau. We have to decide if we are satisfied with where we are. We may not even be satisfied with it, but we may be more afraid of changing what we have for something we do not fully know.

The bottom line is this, if you are satisfied with where you are, then stay there. No one is going to get you to move if you don’t want to. No one was pushing me to get better, they were just glad I was doing something. That just wasn’t enough for me anymore. If was fine at the beginning. But the more I played and the more things made sense, the more I began to understand. The more I wanted to improve. I wanted to become a better steward of my time and more effective in my practice. The more I played the more I wanted the play. And the more I wanted to play the better I wanted to be.

There are two question we all have to ask ourselves. They are these: 1.) How long is it going to take for me to realize there is more to learn? And 2.) How intently will I strive to learn it when I do?

Lent Day #36 | Righteousness

I want to share with you one of the many mind-blowing verses in the bible!

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

I am stunned at the reality this points to. Before we go any deeper into the verse, let’s look at what righteousness is. Righteousness has been defined as having a right relationship with God. Now, this sounds great, but it does not describe for us how we can get to the right relationship. What does the journey from “here” to “there” look like?

As I have studied, thought and prayed about this I have composed a simplified definition based on what I have seen on my faith journey. I am sure others have come to a similar conclusion, so I do not claim exclusive rights to this. For me, righteousness is hearing or reading God’s word and saying to myself, “I will do whatever I have to do, to do what I have heard.” The essence of this idea is to take God at his word. What this means is making every effort to trust and comply and fulfill what God has said, living it out every day.

Paul says this about Abraham:

“So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'” (Galatians 3:6, NIV)

What did Abraham do? He believed God and then lived his life in light of what he believed about what God said. This is the key that releases toward us God’s blessing. When we move and live trusting in God we are saying He is the most important reality in our lives. This is the evidence of our desire for a right relationship with God. If our desire is to dwell with God, we must work toward that objective. We must do everything within our power to demonstrate it, to God and everyone else.

I want to be counted as righteous. Do you? And, if you say that is your desire, what are you doing to show God you are serious?

Lent Day #11 | Study

Studying is not supposed to be a chore. As a matter of fact, I think study should be a blessing and an opportunity to grow wider and deeper.

I hope the word “study” did not conjure up terrible childhood memories. If I am honest, there are memories I cherish and then there are memories I would rather never bring back to mind. However, studying is not supposed to be a chore. As a matter of fact, I think study should be a blessing and an opportunity to grow wider and deeper.

Student
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