I made a conscious decision a few years ago to focus on communicating the message of grace and identity in Christ. With that I decided to avoid the polarizing path of politics. Some have told me that is cowardly but I can honestly say there is no message more important to me than the liberating freedom of grace. I want to share the joy of living out of what Jesus has already accomplished and what God says is true about me. That I am a saint. A new creation. A beloved child of God. I relate to the mission statement of Paul when he wrote these words. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT) I feel called to be a messenger of hope and grace. Plus I feel like
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It was thirteen years ago when Joni and I said goodbye to Hall of Fame canine companion Hannah. She was a unexpected rescued Labrador that God brought into our lives to help us through a challenging season. She inspired the initial book draft of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace that included stories from another rescued Labrador named Maggie. Here is a chapter from the book remembering sweet Hannah. Hannah loves the morning walk. When she sees me grab my walking shoes, she begins to vibrate with excitement. If the Department of Energy wants to find an untapped green energy source, it should harness Labrador tails. I think Hannah could power a small apartment building when she gets excited and that tail starts oscillating. I love the morning walk as well. It is a time to meditate, pray, listen to good music, and enjoy God’s company. The walk is pretty much the same each day
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I have written about this social media trend but I think it is worth revisiting. After a tragedy occurs it is a common social media reaction to attack people of faith for offering “thoughts and prayers”. These posters assume that anyone expressing those sentiments don’t really care about solutions to prevent future violence. Our culture seems to have lost the ability to recognize two things can be true at once. I honestly believe I can desire cultural improvement while praying for hope and comfort to victims and their families available through faith in Christ. So here is the challenge for Christians in this season. How can we love those who assign terrible motives to what may be a completely sincere and caring response? Perhaps start by seeing if anything in the criticism is valid. I spent 40 years in television production trucks so rough language doesn’t impact me much. But I have to admit the language and anger directed toward
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I often joke that I have been discipled by my dogs! Some accuse me of being “dogmatic” in my beliefs. The truth is God can teach us in so many ways. I have learned from Scripture, church community, good Biblical teaching, and serving others. But I have also learned from God’s creation and especially my canine companions. My book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace was written about two precious rescued Labs. Joni and I had to say goodbye to both Hannah and Maggie. We weren’t sure if we could find another dog like those two. Through an unexpected God connection we found another canine companion with a heart just as big as Hannah and Maggie but contained somehow in a much smaller body. Bella is a 15 pound Cavapoo with a giant personality that entertains, makes you smile, and warms your heart.I was wondering recently what Bella’s contribution might be if there was a
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I love the worship atmosphere at my church, Waterbrook Bible Fellowship in Wylie, Texas. Some mornings the songs and spirit impact my heart in unexpected ways. Recently a familiar song from Shane and Shane titled “You’ve Already Won” nearly floored me. The lyrics summarized my decades long struggle where I felt like I had to do more for Jesus or I would not receive His love, forgiveness, and eternal security. I grew up in legalism. We were taught accurately that you are saved by grace. And then it went doctrinally South. We were taught that sanctification came through grit and not grace. You had to work extra hard to stay in good standing with God. And if you sinned and didn’t immediately repent your salvation might (probably would) be compromised. So I served God out of anxiety instead of confidence and trust. I was wrongly convinced that to grow in my faith I had to do more. Try harder. Pray
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I turn the volume way up every time Lauren Daigle’s song “You Say” plays. The lyrics perfectly describe the battle that most of us fight to believe that what God says about us is true. Here is a sample of her powerful lyrics. I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enoughEvery single lie that tells me I will never measure upAm I more than just the sum of every high and every low?Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know… I wrote about this topic in my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. I am drawn to wounded and dysfunctional people like a moth to light. When I hear their stories, I see a familiar pattern. They tend to believe that all the old junk in their lives is still true about them in God’s eyes. Too many followers of Jesus cannot believe they are a
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Matthew West is one of my favorite Christian songwriter/singers. His lyrics are both inspiring and applicable to my journey. I need both of those. His song “Unashamed” hit my heart the first time I heard it. Matthew West opens with stories of faithful servants of God followed by a couple of challenging questions. So, what’s gonna be said of meWhen it’s all said and done?Will I stand for my beliefsOr will I turn around and run? Part of the challenge of being a follower of Jesus is withstanding the criticisms from many around you. I worked in a secular industry with many who doubted the reality or need for faith in God. Some felt you were weak if you needed Jesus. Some thought you were brainwashed or, even worse, braindead if you believed in God. They delivered accusations to defend their narrative and my response was always honest. Accuser: A lot of Christians fall way short of who they should
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