Category Archives: Godly Living

What does it mean to be unified?

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I came across this statement today. It struck me so strongly that I listened and listened until I could type it.

It starts with the most influential… actually loving one another and scheduling appointments to get together and to work on  a friendship. Not just hosting events.

When Christians think of unity they think of events. Events are nothing more than political statesmanship.

….

Unity is really less about doing events together and it’s more about doing life together and building friendship. — Mark Driscoll | Redeem Cities 2010: Mark Driscoll Session 2 

This applies to pastors working together. And to everyone else in the church.

Dealing with Dilemmas

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You know what a dilemma is, right? It’s when you are caught between two options and you must make a choice. If you choose the first option, it will cause a problem. And if you choose the second option, it will cause a different problem.

People face dilemmas all the time.

Let me give you an example: You want to take your son hunting. He’s finally old enough. It’s kind of a father-son bonding time. He’s using his grandpa’s gun. You bought him the license. He’s really excited. But your aunt Mabel died yesterday. And while the viewing is Sunday evening, the funeral service is Monday morning — the opening day of buck season. That’s a dilemma. What do you do? Do you let down your son by skimping on the hunt? Or do you let your uncle down by skipping your aunt’s funeral. No one likes to be on the horns of a dilemma.

A more serious dilemma would have been on the mind of some young men in Nazi Germany in the time of Adolph Hitler. On one hand, you want to be a patriot. And Germany is economically devastated. Plus, if you refuse to fight, it will be your neck! On the other hand, you know the Nazis are committing atrocities. You’ve seen the ghettos. You’ve heard the stories. Can you defend a government that is so evil? It’s a dilemma. What do you do?

No one likes to be caught on the horns of a dilemma. I always want the third alternative. But often, there is none.

This podcast speaks about Joseph of Arimathea’s choices and ours as well.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

How to have a relationship with God

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How close are you to people you love? Laurel and I have been married for 29 years. That’s a while. And she and I would both honestly say to you that we’ve had our ups and downs. Some of the best years were when we lived in campus housing, went to school, and worked in the evenings. We…

  • Sat in classes together.
  • Ate lunch together.
  • Worked on projects together.
  • Rode motorcycle together.
  • Shared notes together.

Those were good years.

When I entered ministry, everything changed. Suddenly…

  • I was writing sermons — by myself.
  • She was preparing Sunday School lessons — by herself.
  • I was doing counseling — by myself.
  • She was preparing music — by herself.
  • I was making hospital visits — by myself.

And without even seeing it, we were slowly becoming strangers.

When children came along, the distance between us fluctuated. Sometimes we were close. Sometimes we were not. In fact, both of us realized that unless we did something about it, we ran the risk of becoming strangers who lived together.

It was then that Laurel and I decided to make our relationship a priority. We began to set aside time for one another. Once a week we went somewhere where our ministries, our children, and our external demands could not interfere. For a while, that was a coffee shop in Clearfield. She was not allowed to take a book. I was not allowed to take a computer. She was not allowed to take her schedule. I was not allowed to take my PDA.

We have found, in these 29 years, that if we don’t take the initiative to be close, we will not be close.

Today, I want to suggest that the very same thing can happen with you and God.

This podcast helps you see how to stay close to God.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download