Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

When things don’t seem to go our way, whether in our jobs, our family, our finances, or our church, it’s easy to get discouraged. We try to get ahead, and so often, as we try to move forward, we find ourselves on a conveyor belt pulling us back. It’s all we can do just to remain stationary, and when we manage just to keep up, we can feel pretty good about ourselves.

In his book, Direct Hit, Paul Borden says, “Being content with an impotent, declining congregation that is ignored by the community is evil.”

Those are strong words, but they’re true. Right here in North Ridgeville, 20,000 people don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and many of those who do treat Him more like a casual acquaintance instead of the lover of our souls He really is. God has placed us here to reach out to them with His love to foster new and renewed relationships with Christ Himself and with His bride, the church.

But if we’re doing the best we can and still not moving forward, how do we change that? The answer is simple: get off the conveyor belt.

Have you ever, while driving, seen a bird in front of your car, and when trying to get away from the car, it flies straight ahead instead of going up or to the side? I just want to yell, “You’re a bird! You have wings! Go up!”

We’re the church! We have the Holy Spirit! Go up!

How do we do that? First of all, pray. Pray some more. Pray for God’s direction, for clarity of vision so we can see the path that lies before us. Pray for faith to walk down that path. No, pray for faith to run down that path. When God parted the sea for Israel to escape Egypt, it took faith to walk between those two walls of water, knowing at any moment, the wind could stop, and the walls would crash down on them. But really, that couldn’t happen. They were being held up by God, and God would never destroy His people as they walked by faith. Pray for the assurance that He will lay His path before us as well. And when He lays that path before us, pray that God give us swiftness and sureness of foot, that we move forward boldly, but all the while remain on His path, not our own.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Last night during Confirmation Class, our class was talking about Holy Baptism and sponsors, and I mentioned that I personally pray for my godsons every day. One of the students said, “That’s because you’re a pastor.”

I get that a lot.

In my later years of high school and early months of college, many people suggested to me that I should become a pastor. God was using them to call me to this vocation. But, like many of the Old Testament prophets, I resisted. I reasoned, “As a layman, I can tell many people about Jesus, and they’ll understand my sincerity. As a pastor, when I tell people about Jesus, they’ll say, ‘You’re just doing your job.'” Obviously, God eventually convinced me that I could do more good and help more people through full-time ministry, and I stopped running away from His call. I’ve never regretted it.

That said, I was right. That comment I got last night wasn’t isolated. Many of the things I say and teach get filtered through my collar. When I meet people outside the church, I try to let them get to know me as a person before they find out I’m a pastor, not because I’m trying to trick them, but because I don’t want their preconceived notions and stereotypes to draw an inaccurate picture of me, or, more importantly, of Jesus and the real impact He’s had on my life.

When I preach, teach, and care for people, I do so because of the love that has been shown to me. On those days when I don’t live up to my calling, I find myself asking why God chose sinful humans instead of perfect angels to lead His people. Clearly, imperfect people can do the job better, because the message is all about forgiveness, and we can tell firsthand about God’s forgiveness of our own sin.

So why am I a pastor? Because God loves me. I became a pastor, because I firmly believe in His love, and I get excited about the opportunity to share this good news with others. The prospect of doing so all day, every day was just too great an offer to pass up.

That said, most of the people reading this are not pastors. You’ve received God’s love and been given the gift of faith, but He has called you to serve the community through other vocations. You have an opportunity that I don’t: you can share God’s love through word and deed with others without people thinking you have an ulterior motive. Like a satisfied customer compared to a salesman, your actions will look much more sincere. Even if a salesman firmly believes in his product, he’s still “just doing his job.” But as one who has freely received God’s forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, God can reach many people through you that I will never even meet.

May the Lord of the harvest equip you with all you need to bring His love to all whom He’s placed in your life.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Last month, I challenged all of you to intentionally seek out those in your life who are not connected with a church. I’ve seen some of that happen already, which I find encouraging, and I look forward to meeting more of your friends and neighbors.

But a life of discipleship goes beyond Sunday morning (or Wednesday evening). Remembering the Sabbath means remembering Christ, our Sabbath rest, Who brings our worries and cares to an end and gives comfort and peace every day.

What does that look like? In many ways, it’s a matter of living out your vocations: doing your job to the best of your ability with the knowledge that you do that job to glorify God, loving your spouse with the same love Christ and His church share, loving and teaching your children (no matter how old) about our loving Savior by telling them about and showing forgiveness to them.

It also means being in the Word and prayer every day. Set aside time each day for prayer. For different people, that can mean different things. Maybe for you, the best time is right before bedtime or when you get up in the morning. Maybe it would work best for you to pray before supper, but instead of “Come, Lord Jesus,” take a couple minutes to give each person in the family to pray together about whatever is on the mind and end with a prayer thanking God for providing food. (Parents, this will also help you know what’s on your kids’ minds.)

I’d also like to see everyone involved in at least one group Bible study each week. If none of the studies we offer on Sunday morning or evening work for you, talk to some friends, whether from Shepherd of the Ridge or other Christians, and find a time you can get together with them each week for a round table-style Bible study, where each person reads a verse or paragraph and offers a thought about how that passage applies to your life. Another impromptu method of study is to work through a book of the Bible, asking how each passage relates to God’s plan of salvation. Think of it as a group getting together each week to solve a mystery, and work together to unlock that from the passage.

If you’ve gotten this far and said, “None of that will work for me,” then this is your chance to get creative. Don’t give up! Maybe you have coworkers who’d like to share a devotion during your lunch break. Maybe you have Facebook friends who’d like to discuss a passage on your “wall” each day. If you have friends or relatives you call regularly on the phone, suggest doing a phone study with them!

What other suggestions do you have? Leave a comment below!

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Recently, the nation was held captive by a bizarre situation that appears to have turned out to be a publicity stunt for a potential “Reality TV” show. The “Balloon Boy” event caught our attention, and we’re still talking about it, even though it turned out to be nothing. Most of what I hear comes across as condemnation for abusing the public’s trust for personal gain.

Pastors live in the public eye enough that I often feel like I’m on a Reality TV show, but that’s the nature of the life God has called me to live. That said, I would not want a camera crew in our home at all times, broadcasting our family’s private lives. They’re called “private lives” for a reason.

At the same time, every Christian, not just pastors, lives under scrutiny. When you cut someone off on the road, and they see your “Pray for our troops” ribbon on the back of your car, what are you telling that person about Jesus? When we act judgmental and look down our noses at those we consider worse sinners than us or gossip about them, what are we saying about the unconditional love and forgiveness of God through Christ?

While our good works don’t save us—Jesus’ work for us has already done that—what message does your life send to others? If your family were on a Reality TV series, would the viewers know you’re Christians? What would you be telling them, through your lives, about Christianity?

You don’t have to be on a Reality TV series. The world is watching you. Let them see the life of a broken sinner who lives by the grace of God, whose sin has been forgiven, and who now reflects that love to the people He has brought into your life.