Philippians 1:9-11

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 1:9-11

Dear God, I need to search the New Testament for every instance of the word “fruit” because the idea of the fruit we are supposed to exhibit as your children is pervasive in Paul’s writing. I know Jesus said it too.

In this case, Paul is saying the fruit is:

• Love overflowing more and more
• Growth in knowledge and understanding
• Righteous character

I’m very glad that I didn’t watch the presidential debate last night. I was thinking about some of the things I read about it this morning, and I went back to my prayer from a couple of weeks ago that posited the idea that character should be the most important trait for which I vote and that platform be the tiebreaker. While that’s probably too simplistic, I’m actually starting to buy into it more and more. Even verse 11 here talks about the growth of righteous character in Christ Jesus. If my character is not continuously developing forward then it’s a warning sign.

Father, my character has a long way to go. I can still be cruel, merciless, selfish, manipulative, petty, etc. I will judge others too harshly and then chastise them. Am I better than I used to be? Yes. Am I better than I was even yesterday? I think so. But I am no Disney Princess. I am as much the villain as anyone is. Help me to continue this journey with you and to grow.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

Dear God, I’m having a hard time identifying Christians I can trust. There are some national Christian leaders whom I perceive as speaking foolishness right now, and it makes me wonder if I am the fool and they are the ones in your Spirit. I know this is vague, but it has to do with political things, so I am just going to keep it vague. I don’t want this to be about politics, and I don’t even want it to be about them. I want to examine my own heart and see if I am expressing worldly foolishness.

I guess I keep going back to the Andy Stanley sermon “Not In It To Win It.” That message felt counterintuitive in the best ways. It talked about the church not seeking political power, but taking a step back so that it can more effectively serve. He talked about your plan being that Jesus needed to die and “lose” in order for your plan to succeed. It certainly didn’t look like winning to the world, but Jesus’s death and resurrection was the biggest victory ever.

I really don’t know what to think of my own life. Frankly, it seems pretty easy. Work is challenging and I have several problems to solve every day, but the foundations of what you have provided us here are strong. My home is the same. My wife and I face challenges every day, but our foundation is strong. And the strong foundation counts for a lot.

Okay, now, I’m just rambling. Father, give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Help me to see your direction for me. Help me to be at peace regardless of what I see around me because my hope/certainty is not in a political candidate, a government, an economy, my wife’s and my health, my children, my wife, my money, etc. My hope is in you. Help me to rejoice in you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 6:31-34

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6:31-34

Dear God, on the surface, this seems like ridiculous advice. Don’t worry about what we eat, drink, or wear?!? Don’t worry about tomorrow?!? Isn’t that irresponsible? I mean, if I’m going to be responsible then I need to have health insurance, life insurance, money in savings for a rainy day, a retirement account, etc. I need to set aside money I will owe for taxes at the end of the year. I need a will for my earthly possessions. I need my job so I can pay my mortgage. And to do my job right I certainly need to worry about tomorrow and plan ahead. No, this is ridiculous advice.

Or is it? What can I really control? I have zero idea what tomorrow holds. Illness? Famine? Pandemic? Recession? Death? Those are just a few of the countless possibilities. So I can plan (and a lot of what I mentioned in the beginning is really planning), but I need to 1.) remember that my plans are, by their very nature, flawed, and 2.) you are enough to cover the flawed parts of my plan. I have enough to think about today. There are broken relationships that need addressed. There are responsibilities I have to meet. There are children and a wife to love. There is a house that needs some maintenance. And most of all, there is a God to worship.

I’ll just add this, and I guess I’ll make this part of my worship of you today. I stand amazed at how powerful taking a day to pray and fast can be. I stand amazed at how you’ve blessed the fruit of my labor at work. You are amazing! And you seem to pay attention to every detail! I mean, how can you possibly do that? But you do. From our staff, to our safety, to our finances, you have not withheld anything from us at work. And for some of the surprise expenses my wife and I are experiencing right now, you seem to have provided the cash for that as well. And so for the things for family members that I’ve not yet seen answers, I trust that you are working on something I simply cannot see (and I may never see your plan come together in my lifetime). But I trust you, Lord. I trust you. Please show me what you have for me to do today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John 1:5-10

Dear God, I’m about to get into some controversial theology here that, at the end of the day, probably doesn’t matter, but here we go anyway. I pray to you and not Jesus. Is that wrong?

When I think of the Trinity I think of it as all three of you having your roles. There is you, the Father. In my mind, your nature is the core of God. Then there is your son. He is part of the nature too, but–again, in my mind–his role was to reveal you to us, teach us about you, and then be the sacrifice for us. Perhaps he even helped you experience the human condition in a way you couldn’t have before. Finally, there is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is my counselor, comforter, supporter, convicter (if that’s a word), etc. He is here with me now as I type this to you. He is in my heart. He ministers your presence and love to me. He guides me and whispers in my ear.

Growing up Baptist, I learned some phrases and concepts that I’m not sure can be backed up scripturally.

• “Ask Jesus into your heart.” In looking at scripture, I certainly need to accept Jesus’s sacrifice for me in order to be in relationship with you, but Jesus himself said that he was sending the Holy Spirit to be with me.
• “Pray to Jesus.” Well, it seems to me that Jesus prayed to you. Jesus did say that we needed to ask for things in his name, but you are the father. Here is something that I think addresses all of it from John 14.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

John 14:12-21

So going back to Jesus, John tells us in these verses from 1 John (back where I started) that one of the things Jesus did was teach us about you. You are light. We cannot be that light on our own. To have fellowship with you, we need to be cleansed. We need what Jesus did. But in my mind, what Jesus did was give us the physical and intellectual pathway to get to you.

Father, surround me with your Holy Spirit. Strengthen me. Help me to repent when I need to repent. Love through me. Help me to forgive as I have been forgiven (which is to say, help me to forgive generously!). Be glorified. Help me to decrease as you increase. Bring your kingdom to earth, and let your will be done on earth. Use me however you will to accomplish your goals.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

1 John 1:1-4

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

1 John 1:1-4

Dear God, there are times when we just need to know there is a bedrock foundation beneath our faith. Is the “religion” I’ve chosen worth anything? When they built Baylor’s football stadium along the Brazos River, they had to drill deep before they found bedrock upon which they could build the foundation and plant the support columns. If I drill deep, will I find rock? Are my columns planted in anything real?

Well, I have a few things upon which I build my faith:

• The universe is so much bigger than I can understand. It’s most certainly not an accident.
• If the story told to us about Jesus in the gospels was a lie, then the apostles died for absolutely nothing. It’s not like their proclamations made their lives better. They just had a story they had to share. That’s what John is saying through the first four verses in this letter: “THIS IS REAL. I WAS THERE AND I SAW IT!!”
• The mercy that Jesus death and resurrection offers is the only thing that makes any sense in how we can possibly have relationship with you (John will get more into that just after these verses)
• I can look at numerous examples in my own life that are beyond coincidence. Just two weeks ago today you ordained my steps against my will and provided for my wife in the process. We are burying her father’s ashes today. When I look at how you cared for every detail in his life over the last three years, I stand amazed. I could go on and on here, but it would get too personal for public consumption in some cases. Suffice it to say, I have felt you in my life over and over again.
• You are my only source of peace. I’m not sure what to add to that except that when I am close to you and pursuing you I have peace, and when I’m not I don’t.

I’m sure there are other things, but I’m going to close here because I need to finish getting ready. I love you. I thank you. I worship you. Help me to live up to everything you need me to be today for everyone I see.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“Red Letters” by David Crowder

“Red Letters” by David Crowder

There I was on death row
Guilty in the first degree
Son of God hanging on a hill
Hell was my destiny
The crowd was shouting crucify
Could’ve come from these lips of mine
The dirty shame was killing me
It would take a miracle to wash me clean

Then I read the red letters
And the ground began to shake
The prison walls started falling
And I became a free man that day
Felt like lightning hit my veins

My dead heart began to beat
Breath of God filled my lungs
And the Holy Ghost awakened me
Yeah, the Holy Ghost awakened me

When I read the red letters
And the ground began to shake
The prison walls started falling
And I became a free man that day

For God so loved the whole wide world
Sent His only Son to die for me
Arms spread wide for the whole wide world
His arms spread wide where mine should be
Jesus changed my destiny

Thank You, God, for red letters
When the ground began to shake
The grace of God started falling
And I became a free man that day
The prison walls started falling
And I am a free man today

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Crowder / Ed Cash

Dear God, I started this yesterday morning, but I never got back to it. I woke up with this song going in my head so I decided to spend some time with it. As I read the lyrics, I was reminded of my testimony. Well, I was reminded that I have a testimony, but it’s been so long since I gave my testimony that I had to go back and think about it. 

The dirty shame was killing me

It would take a miracle to wash me clean

My wife and I were talking about my sense of shame (or lack thereof) this morning. I mean, yes, I feel shame for my sins and actions. I have things that I did wrong yesterday for which I am ashamed. But the miracle of you washes it clean. 

I remember when I was a child and always looking for that absolution. I kept “accepting Christ” over and over again (church services, revivals, youth conferences, etc.), but I never felt like I changed. I still had sin and it frustrated me. And whenever I would “go forward to accept Christ” it always felt great. And it would feel great for a while–a few days. Then I would drift back into my old patterns. Nothing changed. 

But it was a process for me, and you led me into learning more about discipleship and worship. You led me into relationship with you. That’s a lot of what the “red letters” are about. They are you teaching me directly how to worship you, how to act around others, and how to see the world the way you see it and become the man you need me to be.

Father, thank you for “red letters.”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Romans 15:5-7

⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Romans 15:5-7

Dear God, I’m not sure this really fits with this passage today, but I’ve been struggling lately, as is evidenced by past prayer journals to you, as to what level the church as a whole and I as an individual should concern myself with politics. I’ve tried to imagine Jesus living in America in 2020, walking the earth and having his ministry now. How would he respond to the pandemic, social justice, or the election? In the gospels, we didn’t see him moving in a democratic system so it’s hard to be certain, but I can’t help but feel that he would be more concerned about how Christians are treating each other and non-Christians than how they are voting. Something tells me that he wouldn’t be putting any energy at all into who the next president, senator, congressman/woman, governor, etc. would be. I’ve also come to think that you, as the Father, are controlling all of this on a macrolevel that is far above what I can understand or influence.

In terms of social justice and the pandemic, again, I think Jesus would bring it down to a personal level. What am I doing to show love to my neighbor? What am I doing to ensure that I am representing you to the world? What am I doing to draw others to you so that they might experience the fruits of the Spirit? If I insist on my right to not wear a mask or have my favorite football team play, am I doing your kingdom any good at all? If I shout from the rooftops that all live or blue lives matter, am I bringing more healing or am I dividing?

Father, I am asking for two things this morning. First, help me to turn loose of the different political things that are happening right now. From the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice to the election of national and local officials, help me to put my faith, hope, and trust in you and not in any person or any person’s plan. Peace will not be found in a candidate or a judge. Peace will not be found in the economy or even my own health. Peace will only be found in you and me representing you as best I can through loving others richly and extravagantly. Show me how to do that.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Galatians 6:14-18

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Galatians 6:14-18

Dear God, there is so much debate still, even in my own heart, about what a “new creation” is supposed to look like. Should it be good enough for me that a person is pursuing you in worship even if they have, what I consider to be, obvious sin in their life, or should I see a sinless “new creation?” I suppose the answer to that question is the former because no one is sinless. We are all working out our faith with fear and trembling. I’m typing this at 7:37 in the morning, and I have already sinned today. I’m sorry for that, by the way. I’m sorry for allowing sinful thoughts and even words to gather and come out of me. I’m sorry.

So I suppose that loving others, Christians and non-Christians alike, should be what I lead with. If I can love those who disagree with me politically, socially, religiously, or even in interpersonal matters, then I can know the peace and mercy that Paul references to the Galatians here. But if I decide that I need to judge others for how they are failing in thought, word, or deed, then I will not experience that need. To be sure, I shouldn’t just ignore the sin in my life. And I should judiciously talk with others about sin, but only in times when you have given me a legitimate voice in their life and a divine appointment to do it. I’m pretty sure that time is never on social media or even in writing.

Father, help me to look beyond “circumcision” and all of the modern ways we apply the concept of judging the wrong thing. Help me to know how to be your representative to every person with whom I come into contact, and bring your Kingdom and will into the earth through me and your church. You know, beyond that, do it through whomever you please. Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

The Church is Soft

Dear God, I heard two different pastors today say, in essence, “The church is soft.” The first was Andy Stanley’s September 13, 2020 Sermon (Be Rich 2020). Here is a quote from it:

“[Questions regarding COVID-19 that ask if these are the end times or if God is punishing us and we need to repent] are not the kinds of questions that first-century Christians asked when faced with similar circumstances. And, just my opinion, I think our fascination with these kinds of questions reveal, in some cases a limited knowledge or a limited understanding of history and of the suffering that people in other parts of the world have had to navigate for generations, and that many people were navigating in this generation before the appearance of COVID-19. Which makes me wonder–perhaps the question we all should be asking is this one: Why, why do Americans, and I’m including myself, why do Americans have such a low pain threshold? Because we really do, don’t we? Me included. And part of the answer to this question is, ‘We are so blessed. We are so resourced. We’ve been so protected.’ And those of you who have traveled to different and difficult regions of the world, you know this to be the case. You know that us Americans have high expectations of how we expect or deserve to be treated. We don’t want to be told no. We feel like we have the right to do pretty much whatever we want. In fact, think about this. The fact that fights have broken out and guns have been drawn over wearing a face mask in Walmart, on airliners…I mean, that should tell us a little something about our low tolerance for discomfort.

Later, I was mowing the lawn and couldn’t decide what I wanted to listen to, so I pulled up some recordings I have of Chuck Swindoll teaching a survey of the different books of the Bible. This was probably recorded in the 1981-ish time period. In the one on Acts he said:

“May I interrupt this time to say something straight to all of us? I don’t think we are tough enough in this generation. Now there are some beautiful exceptions, and you who are tough, you who are resilient, you spur us on when we get weak. But for the most part the church is getting a little flabby. Getting a little lazy. We get a little persecution that washes over us and, oh my, we’re ready to close up the book, and walk away and say, ‘Leave it to somebody else.’ I long for that pioneer spirit that didn’t just simply make this country great, but it made the church great. Some of those soldiers of the cross. Those warriors of the land. Those who refuse to lay back and let the responsibility rest with just a few off there in the limelight. People who rolled up their sleeves. Stout-hearted Christian men and women who put it together and stayed to the task. If you find yourself a little lazy, a little laid back more than you once were. If it’s beginning to bother you get a big dose of the book of Acts.

The order in which this all came up for me this morning was first listening to Andy Stanley’s sermon based out of Acts while I was working out and then I decided to listen to Chuck Swindoll’s survey of Acts while I was mowing the lawn. It’s interesting that both of them, when comparing the modern American church to the church in Acts, said the modern American church is soft.

I still think back on an editorial I read for a Christian back in the 2016 election cycle. He said that Christians in America have made an idol out of the Supreme Court. We vote for a President who we think will nominate the justices we want, and then we sit back and wait for them to do our work for us. There are two problems with that strategy: 1.) We abdicate our need to get involved and 2.) the conservative-leaning court often votes against what the conservatives wanted (e.g. it was a conservative court that ruled on Roe v. Wade). For for pro-life Christians, are we ready to do the work to support women and help them NOT choose abortion and, should something happen and abortion be outlawed in parts of the nation, are we ready to step up and work to help those children and their mothers?

Another question is, should church leadership hide from religious persecution. Should we want a government that will protect us as Christians, or should we want to experience the struggle of the church against the culture because it is the struggle that makes us stronger? As Swindoll put it, we are flabby. Said another way, we are fat and happy, and that’s a dangerous place to me. And when I say, “We,” I’m right in there with the rest. One of my biggest weaknesses as a leader at work is that I shun risk for safety. How much does my desire for safety limit my willingness to hear what you might be calling me to do.

Father, help me to not run from risk, but to prudently determine your will for me. Help me to shun self-pity when it comes to how I (or my church) am treated by society. Help me to embrace the responsibility to innovate under your guidance and provision. Help me to accept personal failure if it means advancing your Kingdom.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Philippians 1:20-30

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Philippians 1:20-30

Dear God, as long as I draw breath I have a job to do. And I feel like I am constantly letting you down in that area. I know I don’t maximize every moment. And maybe I can’t. Maybe it’s not humanly possible to do it. But even within my own human limitations, I know I leave a lot of opportunities on the table.

I think a good metaphor is my cycling. This morning, I had a really good ride. I think it is the fastest I have ever ridden this specific route. I obviously did a good job. But I also know that I didn’t push as hard as I could at every moment. There were times I coasted. Times I rested. And maybe some of those rests made me better on the climbs. So I’m not saying I always have to be doing something for the Kingdom, but just like cycling, I know there are times when I’m coasting that I could be applying some pressure to the pedals.

Father, there is just so much that I don’t see. During this current cultural climate of the election, social unrest, and the pandemic, I can’t help but ask myself all of the time, “What would Jesus be doing right now?” Would he be on social media? If so, what kinds of things would he post? What would he have to say about wearing a facemask? What would he say about voting for a given candidate/party/platform? If I were with him as the disciples were, what kinds of awkward questions would he ask me? What would his daily priorities be? I said I ask myself these questions. I never said I come up with a good answer. So help me to think about and answer these questions and then put the pressure on the pedals every time you need me to.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen