I had the privilege of doing some shopping with my wife, Amy, a few days ago. I actually love shopping with her, for the most part because I love spending time with her. However, our approach to shopping is very different. I tend to know exactly what I want, go straightaway after it, pick it up, and buy it. Amy tends to vacillate over what she wants, peruse in round about ways, pick out several choices, and make her way to the dressing room to try them all on. And after all of that, she might come out of the dressing room with one final choice. 

Can we all agree that 2020 looks a lot more like Amy’s way of shopping than mine? In fact, on this particular day as I was waiting on Amy to come out of the changing room, I thought to myself, “How is 2020 going to come out of the dressing room?” After all of this disruption, disorder, and chaos, what will emerge from the changing room? 

And by the way, I always love what Amy ends up coming out of the dressing room with! 

Ryan

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried outto him, and he answered my prayer.

Psalm 120:1

I hope you will join us TONIGHT at 6:30 PM in the Aldersgate Worship Center as we cry out. 

What are we crying out for?

• For the end of this pandemic and all of those affected by it
• For front-line workers, first responders, the police, and those in the military
• For children, schools, teachers, and school administrators
• For local, state, federal and church leaders
• For an end to racial injustice
• For victims of human trafficking
• For peace and unity

We will be joined by Olympian Bradley Atkins, Texas Tech University Chaplain, Brandi Cantrell, and others to lead us in crying out.

See you tonight!

Ryan

I opened my inbox on Monday morning to the usual plethora of emails. One in particular got me to thinking and I asked for permission to share it.

As I was getting ready for church yesterday, I was thinking about…the Texas Tech football game…and how Tech underestimated their opponent. The devil is like (that).  We underestimate his ability to win. If we don’t put in the work with God to have a strong relationship with him, we remain weak defensively. Relationships take work. I need to spend more time in his presence, in his word, and doing his works to build a stronger relationship. If I don’t do that, when it is time to face the devil, I could easily fall. It’s the same with marriage. I thought about how when you put in the work to your marriage you tend not to put yourself in a position to fall.

Good word, don’t you think?

Ryan

All my friends seem to be greeting this abrupt drop in temperatures like they are welcoming a long, lost dog who has found its way home. And I’m over here like, “Can we practice that social distancing thing from winter?” I’m not a fan. Of the cold. Of the short days. Of the barren terrain. Of the icy windshields. Of my older model car without seat warmers. Mi no gusto!

But it’s that time. Winter comes around every year whether I roll out the red carpet for it or not. It brings all of its unpleasantries with it and lingers around like an unwelcome guest who doesn’t know when it’s time to leave. But it eventually does and it gives way to warmer temperatures, longer days, and fruitful landscapes. Mucho gusto! 

There are two ways I endure the winter season every year:

1. I know it will eventually end. It does every single year!
2. There are some good things about it. Like…uh…well…Christmas!

What season are you in? if it’s not your favorite, take courage. It won’t last forever. It’s only a season. It will end. And while your waiting for the season to end, find something about it you can appreciate. It’s there. Look for it!

And for now, can someone please turn the thermostat back up?

Ryan

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Remember the good ‘ole days? The days when the saltshaker freely sat on the table at a restaurant just begging to be used? I miss those days. I miss the salt. And I don’t like having to interrupt the wait staff to ask them to bring me some salt – in a paper packet – that’s hard to open – that contains a miniscule portion of the salt I wish to use to flavor my food. Anyone else?

Two thoughts:

1. The world is asking for the salt.

Yes, in restaurants across the world, people are asking for the salt. Literally. And metaphorically, the world is asking for the salt. For the seasoning to life.

2. We are the salt.

Jesus said, “You are here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste Godliness?” (Matthew 5:13 The Message).

We are the salt the world is asking for! If we are hard to find, how will people taste Godliness? The world shouldn’t have to ask. The salt should be sitting there freely just begging to be tasted.

I want to be the salt. Anyone else?

Ryan

 

The Christmas story is full of questions. We get two of those questions early on in Luke’s narrative. We are introduced to two characters – Zechariah and Mary. The similarities in their stories is uncanny. Their questions couldn’t be more polar opposite.

An angel appears to both Zechariah and Mary. They are both “troubled” by the angel’s appearance to them. Rightly so. And they both receive an impossible message from the angel. Zechariah is given the message that he and his wife, Elizabeth, are going to have a baby! Impossible because they are both advanced in age and have been unable to have a child. Mary, a young teenage girl, gets a similar message from the angel. She is going to have a baby! And not just any baby but the Savior of the world. Impossible because Mary is a virgin.

Zechariah and Mary’s responses to the angel is where the stories depart from one another.

How shall I know this?

Zechariah asks, “How shall I know this?” Other translations render it this way: “How can I be sure this will happen?” In other words, Zechariah can’t see the message the angel delivered coming true because it was outside of his experience. Zechariah balks at the angel’s message because a couple who is advanced in age and have been barren doesn’t have a baby! Zechariah doubts the angel’s message because it doesn’t fit into his realm of possibility. And as a result, he was made mute until the baby was dedicated at the temple.

How will this be?

Mary, on the other hand, asks, “How will this be?” Other translations render it this way: “How can this happen?” Mary is not doubting that the angel’s message will come true. She is not wanting to know how she can be sure it will happen. She is humbly asking how it will happen. It is outside of her experience and she is asking the angle to verify how it will actually happen. And the angel obliges her with the explanation. The angel’s description is still outside of Mary’s realm of possibility yet she simply responds, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

 

Which question are you asking this Christmas?

 

 

One evening our oldest son, Blake, came to have dinner with us. He tends to show up when it is time to eat! He came straight from work and while we were waiting on the food to be ready he slipped into the shower. As we sat down to eat I noticed he was wearing the same clothes he had on when he arrived at our house. So I asked a futile question, “Blake, did you put the dirty clothes on after your shower?” His naive response, “Yeah, why?”

Why? Because that doesn’t make any sense! Why would one put their dirty clothes on after getting a clean shower? But perhaps we do this every day without even realizing it. Paul says we do:

…You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve

stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every

 item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.

All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious

and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean

nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

Colossians 3:9-11 (The Message)

In school, we learned how a caterpillar builds a cocoon and, over time through a process known as chrysalis, emerges as a butterfly. While inside the cocoon, the caterpillar is growing and changing, and when it comes out, the change becomes apparent to anyone who sees it. The butterfly cannot go back and become a caterpillar again. That wouldn’t make any sense.

Spiritual changes happen in much the same way. Jesus accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. Over time, Jesus changes us from the inside out. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but in time, everyone around us can see that we are not who we used to be. Once the new begins to take its place, we can’t go back to the old. That wouldn’t make any sense.

Think about it…

• How has your life changed since you’ve met Jesus?
• Are there parts of your old self still showing?
• Are there places where you are exchanging the old for the new?
• Are there places where you are trying to exchange the new for the old?

 

 

 

When the letters and packages were fetched from the mail box and brought into the church office we noticed a sticker on them. It read, “Please do not block your mailbox.” Oops. Our bad. We had cars that unquestionably obstructed the mail carrier from being able to easily drive up and deposit the snail mail in the little black box. We are appreciative of the carrier’s efforts to go ahead and leave the mail and to give us a friendly reminder not to do that again for the sake of his or her convenience.

We were at fault, but we had a most excellent excuse! A crew moved in early yesterday morning and began the task of seal coating the church parking lot. The first step in the process is to clean the asphalt and the workers asked that we temporarily move our cars while they scrubbed that part of the lot. We moved our cars as far off to the side as we could, where, you guessed it, the mail box sits.

We were in the wrong, but we had a very good reason. One that the mail carrier wasn’t aware of.

Isn’t that often how it is with people we meet every day? They might not be the friendliest. Or perhaps they say something biting. Or give us a gesture that is not the most loving. But we have no idea what is going on in their lives. We just deposit a sticker in our minds that reads something like, “Rude”, “Horse’s rear end”, or “Stay away, don’t engage.” Perhaps we should lean in and learn a little more about their life. There’s probably good reason for their behavior. Deep down there’s more than likely a hurt, habit, or hang-up just waiting to be invited out into the open.

They may be in the wrong, but perhaps there’s a very good reason. One that we are ignorant about until we get to know them and their story.

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Ephesians 4:2

 

 

 

 

 

I attended the funeral of a saint this week and remembered the many conversations I had with him over the years. He had a vast knowledge of the Bible, Christian history, and always had a fascinating story to tell. He was a true evangelist sharing Jesus everywhere he went – his office, in the jails, at church, on the street corner – literally anywhere he could. He always told me (and many others I learned at his memorial service) that you have to say the want to prayer.

The want to prayer? He always reminded me that one has to have the want to get to know Jesus. And whenever he would share Jesus with someone, he always told them to pray the want to prayer.

How about you? Do you need a want to prayer today?

• I want to know Jesus.
• I want to know Jesus better.
• I want to worry less and pray more.
• I want to follow the world less and Jesus more.
• I want to follow more of God’s will and less of my own.
• I want to resist less and surrender more.
• I want to judge less and love more.
• I want to be who Jesus wants me to be and not what others want to see.
• I want to spend less and give more.
• I want to honor Jesus with the things I say and the things I choose not to say.
• I want to be less critical and more thankful.

And the list goes on. What’s your want to today? Pray it now!

 

 

He walked into the church building one weekday afternoon. He was obviously down on his luck, hurting, and needing some help. Our College Pastor met with him for quite a while listening to his story, encouraging him, praying for him, and helping where he could before he went on his way.

That Sunday morning, almost an hour before the first worship service begins, a young man is sitting on the curb outside the church building. Our Connections Pastor thinks it’s the same gentleman that paid a visit earlier in the week. She makes her way outside, sits on the curb next to him, and eventually inspires him to come inside.

It’s after the second worship experience of the morning that I meet him for the first time. His countenance now a tad brighter and his chest a bit higher, he shares of his Sunday morning encounter. I make sure he gets a sandwich that has been brought in for an after church meeting that I slip into and lose track of him.

After the meeting, I head back to my office and a note that has been left on the welcome desk catches my attention. I’m a little skittish about notes left for me on a Sunday morning, but I begin to read…

          Thank you Pastor Ryan…I planned on killing myself when I got out of jail.

          Something inside me said not till after Sunday. Go to church. I’m thankful

          for being here and I’m looking forward to next Sunday. Words can’t express

          how thankful I am right now. I’m speechless…

What if our College Pastor thought he had better things to do that afternoon? Or if our Connections Pastor ignored the young man sitting on the curb? What if we overlook those put in our path every single day?

EVERYBODY NEEDS A SOMEBODY WHO SEES THEM, KNOWS THEM, AND BELIEVES IN THEM!

Who is your somebody today?