Luke 17:7-10

A few years after we were married, Dena and I discovered that one of our favorite pizza places held a regular trivia night. We had only one kiddo at the time and family babysitters close at hand, so we decided to make trivia night a standing date — just the two of us, a pizza, and a growing group of friends and strangers. The rules were simple: Every team had a clever name. No one was allowed to look up answers on their phones. And at the end of the night, the team with the highest score would receive a gift card for a free pizza.
 
After several weeks we started to recognize other teams, either by their faces or by their familiar team names. There was usually a pretty good mix of people in the room. Some were there just for the pizza. Others were there for good food and a laugh about all the things we were just sure we knew, but in fact we did not.  There were however two or three teams, usually in matching uniforms, who were there to prove their everlasting dominance in the stone oven pizzeria trivia universe. They were not there for food. They came for a fight, and they came to win. Their scores were usually much, much higher than ours.
 
So, it came as a total shock when at the end of one night, our table was announced as the winning team (I am still convinced that our victory was the result of a clerical error more than our extensive knowledge of world history). We moved trepidatiously to the podium (along with one of the other usual winning teams) to inform the M.C. that there must have been a mistake in the scorekeeping. He gave me a look that said “Fly, you fools!” and handed us our gift card as he doubled down on our win, confidently announcing us again over the house speakers as the champions for the evening as we scurried to pay our bill and make our way home.
 
I remember enjoying our free pizza quite a bit. After all, it came with a pretty good story. But I also must admit that it has always come with the suspicion that we weren’t worthy of our trophy.

My life as an unworthy champion came to mind as I read Jesus’ story (recorded by Luke) about the unworthy servant. This story has never been troublesome for me. I must have skimmed it numerous times without giving it a second thought (even most of my trusted commentaries seem to skip past this story for reasons unknown). But whatever the reason, Jesus’ words had never bothered me until this reading in particular. It seemed to me as though he was saying Christians should just put our heads down and do our work. What had me feeling unsettled was not the notion of being a good servant, but the fact that this story seemed to stand in conflict with so many of the other words I have heard attributed to Jesus:
 
I no longer call you servants, but friends…
 
Well done, good and faithful servant…
 
I go to prepare a place for you…
 
In this story Jesus seemed to warn his followers not to expect a reward — not even so much as a 'thank you' for their lives of faithful service. A loving Jesus, whom we have come to know for his grace and compassion, seemed to say rather pointedly, 'Know your place.'
 
At first, I thought maybe this was maybe just practical instruction for the disciples. Having served on countless teams where we were reminded 'we are here to serve, not to be served,' this certainly seemed like a possibility. But why include it in the larger arc of the story?
 
Then I thought about the word unworthy. Not worthless. Not without value. But unworthy. As in undeserving.
 
Here in the U.S., we are quickly nearing the holiday of Thanksgiving, a season when we are supposed to reflect on all the things for which we are grateful. In theory, this seems like an excellent idea. In reality, I wonder sometimes if we aren’t actually conditioning ourselves to be thankful mostly for the excess that we post about on social media for thirty days, while the gap between “#normal” and “#blessed” silently grows unnoticed.

For Christians in particular, I wonder if we don’t too often or too easily equate the goodness of God with the things that simply make us comfortable. I can only speak for myself but must confess that I gravitate toward the notion that the life I enjoy is primarily the result of my own effort. If I work harder, I enjoy greater rewards. If I enjoy more blessings, then surely God must be happy with my service and love me more. But too often I forget that even in the so-called ordinary areas of my life, I have been given beyond measure far more than I deserve. Confronted with this, I must admit that in many areas of life, I am unworthy at best.
 
All of this makes me think that maybe Jesus’ story is not just another trope about “servant leadership,” but rather a reminder for his followers about the importance of humility. We are not worthless (Jesus’ own sacrifice should remind us otherwise), but neither does our role as servants of God mean we are entitled to all the finest things this world has to offer. Especially given the context in which Luke chooses to include this story—following the story of faith like a mustard seed and the healing of ten lepers, only one of whom chooses to return and thank Jesus for the gift of his healing—I have to wonder if Jesus wasn’t reminding his followers of the significance of simple things. Could this be a lesson for those of us who regularly practice Sabbath — not to fit more things into a single good day, but to recognize more of the good in all the days of our life? Is it possible that a posture of humility could lead us to a deeper appreciation for the glimpses of God that we have learned to see as commonplace?
 
I was processing this all out loud with Dena recently and she put it better than I ever could: “When we accept that we are undeserving of all we have been given, it leads us to a gratitude that is fuller and deeper.”
 
As we move into a season when it feels appropriate to reflect on gratitude, may we recognize that we are indeed both unworthy and blessed. May we realize that in the ordinary facets of life, the goodness of God has been poured out on us beyond measure. And in the spirit of authentic humility, may we become truly and deeply thankful.

Alex Bryan is hosting Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. [Luke 15:11-13, ESV]

Another classic parable. The story of the prodigal son is sometimes referred to as the 'lost son' as it follows the parables of the 'lost coin' and the legendary story of the 'lost sheep'. There are some common home runs in this story that I have heard over the years. There is the beauty of the loving Father who accepts all who return; teaching us that God will always welcome us if we 'stray away'.

There is a focus on the older brother, calling out Christians who are focusing on duties but not the heart – teaching us to rejoice with others and not try to compare our works. I have even more recently heard a focus on the prodigal son directly, about the time in the fields where we found him wanting to eat with the pigs – teaching us that what God has is better than anything. All such valuable focuses, all valuable lessons for any human being that does life in a spiritual community.

There's something that stands out in this reading that I have often neglected because the ending of the story has always been presented as the epic conclusion – the embrace of the father and the son, the celebration of the return.

Though this is a beautiful presentation of the character of God, there is something even more meaningful to me to who I am today, and that happens at the beginning. It is this: the father allows the son to take his inheritance and leave. This is incredibly controversial. I am not a parent, yet I have the opportunity to work with youth daily. There are countless times when there are ideas presented, often amazing ones, but there are times when there are terrible ideas where I have to say, "We cannot do this.". I can only imagine, as a parent, that allowing their child to make a choice that would lead to their destruction would be an extremely difficult thing to do. But this is not a story on parenthood, but a story that reveals to us God's character.

In this story, we see that in love, God lets humans make their choices and never stops loving us. The love does not pause when the son leaves with inheritance, the love continues as the son leaves, it is the father's ability to love in freedom that allows the son to make the choice. The embrace at the return is a continuation of the love from the father, not a reset.

We often believe that in the moments when we feel distant; when we are in the moments when we have chosen our autonomy without God in the lens, that God's love pauses, but that is far from true. God's love surrounds us and is continually reaching, and the embrace that happens when we recognize that, even while we are in our lowest moment, is a continuation of the love from above, not a reset. God's love happens at the beginning of our story, it does not start then stop then start again. It starts at the beginning and continues through to the end and beyond. May we learn to love others around us in that manner. May we reform the narrative, that when people around us, people we care about, make choices that appear to be distant from God, may we rest assured that the love from God has not paused, and God’s love is evident in the fact that we can make any choice.

Alex Bryan is hosting Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

Press Play highlights LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 NLT

The opening words to Luke 18 is the critical finishing piece to the purpose behind the rest of the chapter. It reads, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Luke 18:1 NLT

Prayer, though one of the most important pieces of the spiritual journey, may also be one of the most misunderstood. Is prayer about saying the right words to get whatever I want? If I pray enough, with enough faith, will God grant me the requests of my heart? Is prayer talking? Listening? Both? Neither? What is prayer?

In Luke 18, Jesus begins by sharing a parable with the disciples about the persistent widow and the harsh judge. But the audience and focus shifts when Jesus tells another parable after this one. The second parable, found in Luke 18: 9-14, is told to, “Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else...” Luke 18:9 NLT

In context, it would seem that this parable is told to the Pharisees in the room, those that believed salvation came by their own merits (the Hebrew understanding of righteousness related more to “God’s saving acts,” which of course is granted not earned, than it did to one’s own moral standards and activity).

The two characters in the parable, the Pharisees and the Publican (or tax collector depending on your version), both go to the temple to pray, most likely at a time that was common to do so. After introduced, the parable then contrasts the way in which these characters pray to God.
We’re told the Pharisee stood by himself, or stood apart, from others. This was probably a common stance for a Pharisees who is especially aware of avoiding anyone who was unclean. They didn’t want the unclean riffraff in the temple to bump up against them in prayer, or touch them in passing and thus defile them. So they would have found a place to stand and pray, and praying out loud would offer them a chance to give those around them some unsolicited advice.

I’m sure we’ve all been given unsolicited advise before. Sometimes, pastors give that advice in a prayer at the end of the sermon when they forgot to say something, so the closing prayer is really one more point from the sermon. And sometimes, when the pastor wants to rain down some condemnation, he or she may do it in a prayer because, well, really who can judge a prayer, right? After all, that is a conversation between them and God.

Whatever the case, the Pharisees’ prayer was clearly more about themselves, than it was about God. It was more about piety, than intimacy; appearances than authenticity.

Then we come to the publican, or tax collector. This is a person who already feels as if they are an outsider in this house of worship. After all, tax collectors were seen as people who betrayed their own people to serve the Roman government. He would have walked into that space with people glaring at him with piercing eyes, condemnation written all over their faces.
The tax collector stood at a distance too, though maybe not by choice. He couldn’t even look up, he just beat his chest in sorrow.

According to Kenneth E. Bailey in his book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, he says that in this time never beat their chest; women may have on occasion. The only other place in Scripture where people beat their chest was at the crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23: 48). So this is an extraordinary physical response. This man was reacting incredible angst, viscerally. The only words he could get out were, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Jesus said the sinner (i.e. the tax collector) went home justified, not the Pharisee, and then he spoke to the importance of humility. It seems the contrast is clear. The Pharisee didn’t really think he needed God, the Publican new He didn’t have a chance without God. Which one are you?

God not only wants us to realize our need for Him, but to share all of ourselves with all of Him because that’s what intimacy is. And since our first parent’s doubted in Him in the garden, He has been trying to prove to us exactly how much He loves us, how approachable He is, and how we wants to carry us though this life until the day He returns to take us unto Himself.

I’ll close with these words from Dane Ortlund, pastor and author, who writes this about prayer...
“God’s forgiving, redeeming, restoring touch reaches down into the darkest crevices of our souls, those places where we are most ashamed, most defeated. More than this: those crevices of sin are themselves the places where Christ loves us the most. His heart willingly goes there. His heart is most strongly drawn there. He knows us to the uttermost, and he saves us to the uttermost, because his heart is drawn out to us to the uttermost. We cannot sin our way out of his tender care . . .”

If you are beating your chest today, crying out because you recognize you can’t live another moment with Him, know how much He’s done for you, how much He loves you, and that He is with you now, and always, giving you His uttermost.

Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

Have you ever wondered what makes someone do something or what their reasoning is behind their actions?

In Luke 12:13-21 we find a situation where someone puts Jesus on the spot and asks him to do something that would be of benefit to them; “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me (Luke 12:13, ESV).” 

Jesus’ response is confrontational, as he asks this person who had decided that He should be involved. I’m sure this person was hoping that Jesus would intervene somehow, but the result is certainly different than likely expected. Jesus responds with “take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15, ESV).” 

Jesus confronts the root of the issue, which is this person’s desire to gain more, to have more, to seek more. When Jesus says, “take care,” the Greek words that Luke uses imply a deeper prompt to  be aware of what the internal motivations and desires are behind wanting something. The following words “be on your guard” are a similar point prompting whoever heard this to intentionally avoid what it is being warned about. Jesus is confronting this selfish approach; an approach based in the need to gain and maintain. 

The story Jesus provides next is a direct example of the warning he gave. He tells of a man who had so much stuff to maintain and protect that he completely rebuilds the storage, specifically including the man’s inner thinking of how good this is for himself.

Verse 19 reads “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry (Luke 12:19, ESV).” What stands out to me about this statement is that it’s about what he has. He does so much work to protect and maintain what he has.

God’s response to this is to point out that it’s all just possessions; “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:20-21, ESV).”

In this parable Jesus is communicating how easy it can be to look at what we have, what we do, and what we want as everything is all about benefiting us. How we hope and do what we can to ensure things will work out for us. How easy it is to reflect on what we have and how we got it. Jesus warns us of this, pointing out that ultimately the way our motives impact our actions matters. Jesus is more concerned with what makes a person seek and maintain things for themselves, especially when that prohibits them being intentional about sharing and contributing to the work of God. May our prayer be that we hear Jesus when in moments where he cautions us with care. May we continue to stay focused on Jesus. And may our motives and actions reflect the generosity and provision of Christ.

Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website and App.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Luke 10:29 ESV

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [Luke 10:30-33, ESV]

This is a timeless story. Whether it was at a vespers listening to your youth pastor or during Sabbath school being displayed with the felt Bible characters that barely stuck to the board, the story of the Good Samaritan has been relayed to you. It’s a beautiful story, the common goal of it being shared is to teach us the value of helping others, not just in what is convenient but by going above and beyond. The narrative tells us that the Samaritan does not only give care to the man personally, but he also sets up a deal for the man to continue to receive care until he returns to full health. Being a neighbor, as Jesus concludes in the telling of this story, is not just about being helpful, but about restoration to those who are suffering.

There is something in this story that struck me this time while reading over this countlessly retold parable. The first thing is this: hurry is a destroyer of compassion. We look at the characters of the priest and the Levite and far too often we paint the picture that they were too pious and felt too proud to help a person who was half beaten to death. We commonly conclude that the position and background of these two characters prevented them from showing compassion. The issue with this take is that it removes us and distances us from putting ourselves in the shoes of the priest and the Levite.

We can only connect with this story and let this parable change our hearts when we see the two people who “…passed by on the other side.”, as who they truly were – busy humans just like us. When I look at them like that, I cannot help but reflect on the moments when I am going to Target, and all I can think of as I walk from my car to the entrance is all the deadlines and responsibilities I must handle. While my mind is on my tasks, I don’t even have the capacity to see the human outside the entrance who is asking for assistance of any sort. I wish it stopped at strangers. There are far too many times where instead of seeing the suffering of people I care about and making space to have compassion for them like the Samaritan, I end up focused on the daily hustle of trying to do things to be someone significant, to be someone who matters while neglecting the people who matter. Hurry is a destroyer of compassion.

We live in a society that forces us to be human doings rather than human beings, and makes us bad neighbors, people who neglect suffering, people who prioritize lone success. But I am thankful that Jesus shows us through the gospels the beauty of pace. It is pace that allowed Jesus to notice a woman who others had rejected while on the way to be with Jairus’ daughter. It was pace that allowed Jesus to hear the cries of blind men and see the weight a woman by the well was carrying in her life. It is hard to think beyond ourselves when we are always in a hurry; my prayer is that we all find time to pace, to breathe, so we can be good to ourselves and be good neighbors to all.

Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

When I was 11 years old, one Saturday night a group of older guys from my church took me and a few of my friends into the city to see a Motocross race. Motocross is a sport where a group of people on dirt bikes (motorcycles) line up in a row, and they race through a course filled with twists, and turns, and huge jumps through the air. I had never been to an event like that before, and I loved dirt bikes, so to me it was a dream come true. To this day, the smell of motorcycle engine exhaust still brings me back to that night when those guys invested in me. It was an impactful experience. Yet oddly enough, amidst all of the memories I made that evening, one of the most memorable things that I can recall was what the riders said about the dirt.

You read that right, I remember the mud.

You see, In motocross, the riders really care about the dirt they race on. They make their twists and turns on tracks made of dirt, and aparently if the soil has the right ratio of clay, it makes it a lot easier to race on. They can go around the track at faster speeds, and they have more grip as they take corners. Therefore, when the riders were in St. Louis, they were excited because the soil there is predominantly clay. This allowed everyone to have the extra boost they needed and they were all ready to perform at their best. I know… this is a lot of information about dirt. But to those riders, dirt was everything. And oddly enough, when looking at our text this week, I am reminded of the words of those dirt bike racers because in it Jesus had a lot to say about dirt as well.

Jesus may not be tempted to take his Yamaha around a dirt track to race his friends, but he did take a great interest in the condition of soil. In Matthew 13:1-23 He began to talk about a farmer and his fields, and in the story the farmer began to plant seeds in the soil. As he did so, the story goes that only some of the seeds grew into healthy plants. The reason, according to Jesus, was because only some of the seeds were planted in good soil. Some of the soil was rocky, and some of it had thorns, but amidst all of the fields, there was one that was good. One field produced life.

And this is where Jesus took things down to a deeper level. Speaking about that field, and the good soil it had to produce fruit and life, Jesus connected it to each of us today. He said; “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23

Here Jesus made something clear — the soil Jesus is concerned with is the condition of our hearts. To Jesus, our hearts are the soil of our lives from which everything grows. If your heart is cluttered, and if your soil is choked of life, there will be no fruit. Nothing will grow. And then from there, he actually shared with us what good soil consists of. He told us what determines if we have a heart that is good. And what he told us was that we know our soil (heart) is good (fertile), when we become “someone who hears the word and understands it.” 

This text is really good news. And I say that because what it means according to Jesus, is that what determines if our hearts are good is not our ability to bear good fruit on our own. It’s not even our ability to perform “good deeds.” The fertility of our heart's soil, and our ability to bear good fruit is based on if we take time to listen to His voice and understand it. And this teaches us something profound — Jesus is a lot more concerned with our relationship, than he is with our good works. He longs for us to go through the process of taking in the word of God, and letting us shape and form us. And the promise if we do is fruit!

Producing good deeds and good attitudes isn’t something we have to muster up. It isn’t something we have to “try” to do. Jesus promises us that when we understand his words, we will bear good fruit. He will make it happen. He will cultivate the soil of our hearts.

So, today, my thought for your consideration, is that we may all stop “trying” to be “good.” I’m not telling you to close doors in people’s faces, or act up at work. But don’t dwell on the ways you aren't perfect. Don’t make your meditation your flaws and all the ways you could have “handled that better.” Rather, let’s jump into the word of God as a community and allow it to do its mystical work in us. Let’s graffiti our minds with scripture. Let’s paint the walls of our hearts with sacred echoes from God's mouth. And as we do, not only is the promise that it will cultivate good and fertile soil within us. But it will produce in us a life of abundant fruitfulness, all without ever even having to “try harder.”

Starting September 16, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:1-18

I have to admit that when I sat down to write this week’s blog post, I felt a bit stumped. Because of over four decades of participation in church and private Christian education, I have probably heard or read Jesus’ story recorded in John’s gospel about the good shepherd more times than I can count on all of my fingers and toes. So I was not surprised when I dug into the story again. There was no immediate “a-ha moment.” There were no phrases that I had missed all of these years. No special insights that grabbed me that hadn’t occurred to me before. But after a third or fourth reading, desperate for someplace to aim my hermeneutical flashlight, I realized that the significance of this story for me might lie in the fact that I don’t know much about being a shepherd, let alone a good one.

At best, I know about being a bad dog owner. However you choose to interpret that last sentence, it’s probably been accurate more than once. Our dog, Pearl, is not known, inside or outside of our family, for being an especially obedient animal. We affectionately refer to her as “our bad dog.” She is a prodigious escape artist and revels in the classic game of running just beyond my clutches when we are already late for church and I am standing teary-eyed and red-faced in the driveway in my robe and slippers—if the neighbors are lucky. I have thrown things (usually treats, but not always) in hopes of coaxing, scaring, enticing or otherwise coercing our strong-willed pup back into the safety of her own fenced yard. It’s hardly the picture of a good dog owner. Definitely not a good shepherd.

Maybe that’s why the story Jesus tells still holds so much intrigue for me—because everything he describes still stands in such stark contrast to what I see in myself so often. I don’t mean this in a strictly I-am-bad-but-God-is-good sort of way, although there is certainly some evidence to support that. At the very least, I am reminded when I am confronted by impossibility, he is infinitely capable. When I feel exceedingly small, he is eternally big. When I feel selfish, he is generous. I am worried or afraid, and he is ever-present. I am foolish and stubborn, but he reminds me that he was willing to give his life simply because he loves me.

In the middle of what has felt like a particularly difficult season for my family and some of the ones closest to us, I heard a song that gave me pause. Written by Cory Asbury, the lyrics of the song “Kind” capture what I believe is at the heart of this story. I’d encourage you give the whole song a listen, but at the very least I’ll share the words of the chorus in hopes that they will resonate with you as they did with me:

I've tried to run from Jesus, I've started holy wars
I've tried the patient waitin' and the kickin' down the doors
I've cursed His name in anger with my fist raised to the sky
And in return, all He's ever been is kind

Starting October 7, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

If you haven’t read this story in a while, it is probably time to do it again.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matthew 25:1-13

This story continues the warnings that Jesus gives to his followers about being prepared for his return. The ten virgins are not so much named for their lack of sexual activity, but rather, it is nomenclature that is used to ensure we know these women were of marriageable age, creating an understanding of their relationship to the bride. These women were close to her and were deeply invested in the groom showing up.

The imagery of the parable accurately reflects typical customs of first-century Palestinian wedding festivities. A welcoming processional escorts the newly married couple from the bride’s home to a great banquet at the bridegroom’s home, some unspecified time after the legal nuptials have been exchanged. Torches light the way in the darkness, so all the bridesmaids must take enough oil to keep them burning for as long as necessary.

The two groups of women are described as identical in everything except their preparations. Thus, the fact that five fall in each category does not teach that the same number will be saved as lost. The wait proves longer than all have anticipated, and everyone falls asleep.

When we study scripture, it sometimes seems appropriate to make everything an allegory, but there is a danger in that hermeneutic. We can over-spiritualize each line of scripture, but that is not helpful. This story is a metaphor for spiritual preparedness, and in this story, we understand that even those who are deeply invested in the coming of the bridegroom are only sometimes prepared. 

Does this make the unprepared bridesmaids bad people? Not at all. However, the five prepared bridesmaids did not share their oil with the unprepared bridesmaids, which almost makes them seem like the bad ones in this story. So we have the unprepared, who are just that, and the prepared, who seem selfish.

But if we depersonalize this a bit, we can perhaps zoom out and see a principle that should be seen. It is the idea that we can’t transfer one person’s spiritual preparedness to another. We can certainly help one another, but the choices are our own.  

When the Bridegroom says that he does not know them, he may never have known them. We may have misunderstood their relationship with the couple. Perhaps, and this seems likely, the moral is not that the bridegroom refused to acknowledge them but that they were never really his friends.

Spiritual preparedness is going beyond the trappings of religion, and moving into a place of trust. All the bridesmaids fell asleep, but only half were prepared. Perhaps they knew the Bridegroom after all.

I guess the question for us is this.   Do we trust that the bridegroom is coming, and are prepared even if it takes much longer than we hope?  

Starting in October, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

It’s so much more than just another children’s song, but if you’re anything like me, you can’t help but hear that tune when you read this parable...

“The wise man built his house upon the rock...and the rains came a tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up...and the house on the rock stood firm.”

“The foolish man built his house upon the sand...and the rains came a tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up...and the house on the sand fell flat!”

This parable, given by Jesus, actually comes at the end of one of, if not His most, seminal teaching that we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. It is His longest recorded sermon, and it is filled with powerful teachings where He expands our understanding of the law, of who God is, and of how we are all called to treat one another.

So let’s not look passed this short story too quickly else we miss the importance of it.
It’s not an overly complicated parable. In these times, and in the region where Jesus taught, people had to dig down past the soil to get to the bedrock if they wanted to build a house that would survive the forces of nature. However, at different times of the year, it would have been tempting to build on top of the soil because it would have given the illusion that it was hard and safe. But when the first rains came, and the ground softened, the moisture would continue it’s way up to the houses foundation, seep into the mortar between the bricks which was made of mud anyway, and soon the structure would fall.

We have built many things in our society that we thought were indestructible. What comes to mind most recently, as I’m writing this in the month of September, are the World Trade Center towers in New York City, prior to that fateful day of September 11, 2001.

The twin towers were just over a whopping 1300 feet tall each, with 110 stories, providing space for more than 35,000 people in over 400 businesses to work. The foundation of the twin towers was 70’ below ground level, on the bedrock. For almost 30 years, these towers stood as a testament to creativity, ingenuity, and the power of capitalism.

But on September 11, 2001, two hijacked planes crashed into the upper floors of these buildings, and within 2 hours, both buildings had collapsed.

In the spring of 2019, I had the incredible honor of standing beside the memorial pool, located where the twin towers once stood, to pay tribute to the 2,753 lives that were taken that day. It’s a humbling experience to watch the water cascade down the side walls where the foundation of these ginormous buildings once stood.

So obviously, when Jesus talked about building on the rock, he wasn’t just speaking literal. Even the best laid plans of man can still falter, as they did with the Twin Towers.

In this parable, Jesus was illustrating that our lives must be grounded in something that can never be destroyed, not by nature or evil. Something that would give you a firm enough of a foundation that when those things come, which they inevitably do, you can still stand.
This doesn’t mean you’re never shaken. Questions of faith and belief come, and are actually important in the journey towards owning your faith. But when you continue to come back to your foundation, the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, you can weather those storms and come out on the other side of them even stronger and more secure in Him than ever before.

Maybe that’s why for Paul, amidst all the struggles of the growing young movement of Jesus followers, would exclaim things like, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV) And, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

Paul was consumed with Christ, and that obsession carried him through persecution, prison bars, sinking ships, and so much more. This is why our mission statement at the One project is, “Jesus. All.” When Jesus is our everything, the storms will come and go, and we’ll be able to still stand while we cling to Him.

Starting September 16, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

A few weeks ago I was able to visit Chicago with a group of friends.  While we were there, something happened that really got under my skin. We needed to park our car for three days while we traversed Chicago by foot.  To my luck. across the street from our hotel, was the Hancock building. This was good, because in the bottom of the Hancock building there is great parking. After checking the price I parked my chariot on the 8th floor, and felt satisfied that I had found the perfect place.  

But when I went to pay at the end of our visit, something annoying happened. I followed the steps, inserted my ticket, and saw the whopping fee of $178 for 3 nights! As I tried to pay with my credit card, it wouldn’t work. I had just used it to buy a Matcha moments before, but for whatever reason, it kept getting rejected.

I called the 1-800 number and after debating with me on the phone for 5 minutes about how I was using the machine wrong, the guy working finally came upstairs. When he realized that it wasn’t my credit card's fault and it was actually a problem with their machine, he came up with a creative solution. He told me to send him the money on Zelle, and then from there, he would charge the parking to his credit card. I asked him if this was protocol for when this happened according to their policy, but he just began to stutter and reassure me that it was okay. By that point in the conversation I realized what this guy was trying to do. He promised he would cover my bill, but I knew in my heart he was just going to pocket the money.
 
I was stuck behind a gate, and there was no other way to get out, so I had to send the guy some coin. To test the waters, instead of sending him the full amount I sent him $50 through Apple Pay. I told him I would send more, but when he saw the $50 he suddenly said, “Thats enough” and opened the gate. My buddy in the front seat was stoked for me. I only had to pay $50 for parking that would have been almost $200? It was my lucky day! Yet, as I drove away something didn’t sit right with me.

I knew that someone had been done wrong – that in the end, a bill wasn’t getting paid and a random dude in Chicago was $50 richer. Even though I technically caught a break I was frustrated. And I think it’s because I knew my debt was never fully settled. It was never truly handled.

So it left me in doubt.
I questioned if the cameras in the parking garage would look up my plate, or if I would receive a bill in the mail and the $50 I put toward it would never be accounted for. I began to worry. And I think that’s what happens to all of us when we feel like we are indebted. Our lives become marked by anxiety and fear. Just ask any college kid about student loans. There is a burden to owing something. Unfortunately, I think for many, we have allowed these feelings to creep into our view of God. 

We each know that our pasts are marked by mistakes. We each have fallen short so many times and we are often petrified we will continue to only mess up and do the wrong stuff. Therefore, the solution to many Christians is to feel guilty or shameful. We take on the identity of what Jesus died to destroy in order to feel worthy of him, and in doing so, we completely forget the whole message of the gospel. This is why I think Jesus was being incredibly intentional when he told us the story he did in Matthew 18.

In Matthew 18, Jesus told a story about a servant who owed his master a great debt. The master was upset and summoned his servant, but when the servant came to the master, the master did something crazy. As the text reads, “The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” 18:27

The master forgave the servants debt. He let him go. And what’s incredible to me is that the servant never asked the master to do this. He never asked to be forgiven, the servant only asked for more time. The promise on his end was he would “pay everything back.” But when the master saw his servant, he didn’t want anything back. He saw his servants' needs, and he chose to forgive him, something only he could do.

Friend, Jesus is the one who has canceled our debt. He has given us a new lease on life. We don’t need to live in angst or fear of the master. The story is about him! How do I know? Because according to Jesus this is what “the kingdom of heaven is like.” Take hope, fellow sojourner, Jesus has forgiven our debt.

Starting September 16, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares a story of three people who a master chooses to give money to, with “talents” being the stated currency. All three of them have different amounts that come from the same master. The first two are given five and two respectively, and choose to go and invest the talents, making more in the process. The third receives one talent, hides it, and doesn’t do anything with it. Upon the master’s return, he speaks to all three of them. He praises the first two, saying “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master (Matt. 25:21,23, ESV).” The master then confronts the third about his choice to hide the master’s talent out of personal fear, rather than invest it.

The words “faithful over a little (Matt. 25:21,23 ESV)” stand out to me. To the master, it wasn’t about the amount given, but what people did in response with what he entrusted to them. He spoke to the faithfulness they demonstrated, and he confronted the third about the lack of action and hiding based on a fearful assumption. The actions of the first two indicate awareness of what would honor the way the master trusted them, compared to the third who assumed things and criticized the master out of fear.

Each and every one of us has been entrusted with ways to collaborate in building the kingdom of God, whether it be resources, our time, creativity, our talents, and skills, etc. Through this parable, Jesus is communicating the importance of not just God entrusting things to us, but that we have a choice in how to respond to that in the mutual relationship between each of us and God.

We must ask ourselves what has God entrusted to each of us, and what does it mean to be faithful to Him with what He has given to us? May our prayer be of gratitude towards God, the One who entrusts and empowers us to share His love and kingdom with everyone. May we have courage to share with our world. And may our faithfulness to God reflect the generosity, compassion, and grace God has for us.

Starting September 16, Alex Bryan will host Saltworks Live each week from Walla Walla, Washington, USA.  Be sure to join us each Saturday for a lively discussion as we enter into the book of Acts.  You will be able to join Saltworks Live on the One project website, app, Facebook and YouTube.

A new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

Here we are in the last chapter of the book of Acts! And what a journey this has been! 

Have you ever been impacted by the end of a book? Was it surprising? Did it answer questions, or create more curiosity about the story? I found myself especially curious after reading the end of Acts. The last two verses of Acts specifically stood out to me. Acts 28:30-31 says, “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:30-31, ESV).” 

What is noticeable is Paul’s continuous dedication to sharing with people. We read that Paul “welcomed all who came to him (Acts 28:30, ESV).” Paul doesn’t stop sharing Christ. This verse prompts me to reflect and wonder what each one of us, and all of us together will do next to continue sharing Christ with our community and our world. We have the opportunity to be present with, share Christ with, and welcome each person we encounter. 

We read that Paul was “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31, ESV).” I wish I could see and hear these proclamations and people’s reactions. I’m especially curious about what exactly Paul did say. What did he teach people, how did he teach them? Most importantly though, how beautiful is it that Paul continued to spread the gospel of the One who changed his life in such a powerful way. Will we help others understand the power and grace of God? We have that opportunity in how we live our lives and reflect Him. 

Reading scripture doesn’t only tell us a story but it also prompts us to reflect on how the meaning can apply to our lives today and in the future. May our journey through Acts inspire curiosity of the past. May that curiosity prompt reflection of our present. And may those reflections inform and prepare us for what is to come.   

Thank you for being a part of this journey.

We will be taking a summer holiday from our Saltworks blog and podcast discussions during the month of August, but join us back here starting September 2nd for a new and exiting launch into our study of the Parables of Jesus.  To stay abreast of all the latest newest news from the One project, be sure to download our app and opt in for notifications.  

Starting August 4th, we will begin a new podcast highlighting LIVE TALKS from our One project gatherings over the last decade.  Each Friday evening, we will release a new featured talk.  Enjoy these insightful and powerful words from some of the best speakers from across the world.  New episodes will air every week at 5pm PST.  Listen live, or throughout your week!

“The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.”Acts 27:3 ESV

Isn't it great that there are so many different personality types in this world? You have people like my friend Ben, who are the epitome of extroverts. They walk into the room, and are the life of the party. Then, you have people like my wife, Annie. She is more of the introverted type. As she listens to conversations intently, she may not talk often, but when she does, it really counts.  And then there’s people like me. Sometimes we are extroverted, sometimes we are introverted, and half the time we are somewhere in the middle. I think the official term is ambivert - and it fits me to a T.

Ambivert, extrovert, introvert, we all fall somewhere along the scale. Yet, something that I find interesting, is that regardless of our personality type, we all crave community. All of us, regardless of age, or culture, or country, need other people. And recently, I was reminded of this.

It was a normal Saturday – nothing too unusual. Yet that morning as I woke up and began to get ready for church, I realized that I couldn’t open my jaw. It was like someone had superglued my mandible, and the pain was crazy. Thankfully however, I had a solution. 

I remembered the words of my friend Dr. Rick, a chiropractor, who goes to our church.. Something that Dr. Rick has always told me, is that if I needed an emergency adjustment, he was always a call away. So that Saturday, that’s just what I did and took him up on his offer, I called him, and no less than an hour later he met me and I was back to 100%. Since all of this happened, the question that has kept coming to my mind is, “What would I have done if I didn't have my friend Dr. Rick?”

How would my jaw have been fixed? How would I have shared at church? Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done. My jaw was something that I was physically not able to fix on my own. I needed another set of hands, and someone with the right knowledge, who I could call upon and ask for help. 

That is how it is in most areas of our lives when we really think about it. We can’t live this life on our own, we need other’s help and expertise. That is why every nation, tribe and people have always gravitated toward living lives intertwined with others. This week, as I was reading Acts 27:3, I believe we get to see a perfect image of what this type of community can look like.

In Saltworks this week, we have been studying Acts 27, and there we find Paul detained as a prisoner, preparing to go before Caesar. And if you can imagine, Paul had probably been through a lot. He had experienced beatings and shipwrecks and rejection and suffering. Paul had almost been through everything. But then, in the middle of his hardships, verse 3 tells us something really special happened. It says, “The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.” Acts 27:3 ESV

Paul and his companions docked their ship at Sidon, and Paul's first request was to see his friends. In the middle of being held prisoner, Paul knew he needed to place himself in community. And the beauty is that Paul’s friends came through. They actually lived out the type of community Paul had told them to foster.

And as we look at this story today, the question that keeps coming to my heart is - Do we each have this kind of community? Do we each have people in our corner who are caring for us and feeding our soul? Hopefully we do!

But if you don’t have a community like this yet, one of the best ways I believe we can build it in a healthy way, is through planting ourselves in a faith community. Find a healthy, loving and service oriented community. Plant yourself there, and allow yourself to grow deep roots. Don't jump around from one thing to the next best thing. Decide in your heart to be committed. Then, like Paul in Acts 27, be vulnerable. Lean on people, ask for help, share a meal with someone you would normally walk past. In doing this, you will not just grow your circle, you will build relationships where vulnerability, and genuine healing can both take place.  

As psychologist Kurt Thompson says, “We sense, image, feel and think all sorts of things that we never say, because we’re far frightened to be that honest, that vulnerable. But honest vulnerability is the key to both healing shame and its inevitably anticipated hellish outcome of abandonment and preventing it from taking further root in our relationships and culture.”

We need community. We need people to surround us. And in accepting this need, and being open, we discover that we find true healing and support. May we each place ourselves in positions to grow in healthy, life-giving community. And then, may we allow ourselves to not only be vulnerable, but to grow into the type of people others can find refuge in as well.

Paul in front of Agrippa makes for a fascinating scene. Imagine, if you will, what the room would have looked like. Inevitably, there would have been those Jews who were accusing Paul. These Jewish leaders would have been well known to Paul, as he was one of them. He testified to as much.

5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. Acts 26:5-6

He grew up in the faith, he excelled in the faith, and was of the most conservative and powerful leaders in the most conservative and powerful sections of the faith. Paul had all the credentials and all the receipts.

However, Paul was willing to give his testimony in pure and simple language. Essentially, his testimony is this: “God showed up, and I learned I was wrong.” This is how he frames his coming to Jesus. He was a persecutor, but he didn’t realize he was persecuting the wrong group. He was adamant, but God was more adamant. He was not only converted, but was recruited to be just as passionate about Jesus as he had ever been for the Law of Moses.

God was willing to use Paul’s passion, it just needed to be redirected.

Paul, in the 11th verse, says that he was “obsessed” with persecuting them, and even went to foreign cities. He was motivated by the idea that his faith and faith tradition needed to be kept pure, and that purity became an obsession that led to treating others that did not  agree with him as less than human. Paul was not the first one to fall into this trap, and he was certainly not the last.

But have you ever noticed that the most adamant and passionate among us can be redirected toward a more positive and beneficial goal?

Paul has always been an interesting character in that he lived out his passion with reckless abandon, and when his passion became Jesus, he was just as passionate about making sure that everyone around him knew who Jesus was as well. He approached the throne of God without fear, and truly, he was approaching the throne of Agrippa without fear as well. When you have given your life over to something greater than you, you begin to realize that you have nothing to fear from persecution or criticism, in fact, that might be a bellwether that you are making a difference in people’s lives.

What are you so passionate about that people can criticize you for it? Is it something that matters to the world -- to God? Or is it something that is a great way to pass the time.

I have always figured that Paul had very few hobbies. He was a man obsessed with making sure that everyone he met knew Jesus. But not just knew of Jesus, knew that Jesus did for them, how he loved them, and how much his sacrifice could mean for them. Paul didn’t respect culture or faith, as he knew that the only tie that could bind us all together as humans was the connection that comes from knowing Jesus.

Do we have a sense that this can still happen? It’s sometimes hard to believe when you have factions within the church fighting all the time. But I still believe -- and call it foolish optimism -- that if we keep Jesus central, and we keep Jesus as the apex of our faith, he will draw everyone to him.

So I guess our work is simple, to be as clear as Paul was in front of Agrippa. Who is your Agrippa today, and how will you testify to who Jesus is to you?

Have you ever had to speak up for yourself or defend yourself when talking to someone? Have you ever had to justify your experience? What was that like for you?

In Acts 25 Paul boldly defends himself in the face of accusations, saying “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” (Acts 25:8 ESV)

I can’t help but wonder what that was like for him. He confronts accusations from people who disagree with and speak falsely about him. He’s aware of the implications of his actions and the charges people claim.

When pressed by Festus, he further defends himself with transparency, urging that he didn’t do anything wrong. “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” (Acts 25:10-11 ESV)

And then Agrippa, the king, shows up.

Festus shares all of this with Agrippa, prompting Agrippa to want to hear Paul.  Acts 25 includes this statement by Festus to Agrippa; “I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had the opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him (Acts 25:16, ESV).”  As Festus communicates to Agrippa what’s happening specifically the religious challenges to Paul and his responses, Agrippa wants to hear this first-hand.

This chapter’s events take place in Caesarea, a site on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in Israel. The remains are still accessible to visit today and are quite impressive. The site is expansive, indicating this location was notable. And so was the audience coming to Caesarea to hear Paul’s defense. Acts 25 verse 23 records that not only was royalty present for Paul’s defense but so were other important people.    

All of this to say that Paul, in defending himself and speaking the truth, has now found himself in a moment where he will continue to speak face to face in the presence of many important people. Paul is driven in declaring the truth and gospel of Jesus, which brings him to critical moments, such as those recorded in this chapter. What will he do? What will he say?

We face situations where we are face to face with accusations, speculations, and doubts about us, our faith, and God. And we encounter moments where we must ask ourselves what will we do? What will we say? May we speak truth, with courage, through our words and actions. Most importantly may we reflect our God of love who, just as Paul declared then and we declare today, is alive.

Thankfully, I haven’t had a lot of experience sitting in a courtroom. That’s not to say I haven’t had my share of speeding tickets, I have a problem, but what I have experience reminded me that justice doesn’t always win; the person in the right isn’t always exonerated, and the system is far from perfect.

In our reading for today, Acts 24, we find Paul haven been taken from the courts of the Sanhedrin to the courts of Rome. Just like the man He surrendered his life to after their encounter on the road to Damascus, Paul was being wrongly accused by the Jewish leaders in hopes to clear him and his influence from their landscape.

When you compare what Jesus was charged with to what Paul is charged with, there are striking similarities. Both charged as troublemakers, both charged for a desire to destroy or desecrate the temple, and both charged with some level of sedition against the Roman government.

Paul is truly following in the footsteps of His Savior, but keep in mind, His goal wasn’t to get arrested and be charged and stand trial. His goal was to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified to the ends of the earth. His goal was to illuminate Christ at all times and in all things. But the choice to live that kind of lifestyle has consequences.

Little did I think, back in 2011, that choosing to help and lead with this new movement called the One project would come with negative consequences. I mean, we were a group of people that just wanted to make sure our lives were refocused and re- centered on Jesus Christ. We wanted to make sure that He was our everything - not just our spiritual milk or what some think is the fluff of the Bible; Jesus is all in all. As my dear friend Tim Gillespie says, Jesus is the milk, the pitcher the milk is in, the table the pitcher sits on, the house the table is in, the earth the house rests on...Jesus is EVERYTHING for Jesus is God.

Of course Paul says this better...
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 NLT

But if you’ve followed the One project long enough, you know the story. Following Jesus has consequences and we became the most controversial movement in Adventism. Questions abounded - “Did we teach the Adventist Jesus or the Evangelical Jesus?” (You know Jesus was neither of those, right?) “Are you all anti-trinitarian because you only seem to be talking about Jesus?” (That’s a very small view of who Jesus is, for when you know who Jesus is you recognize that when you talk about God you are talking about Jesus and you are talking about the Spirit - three in one, one in three) “Why don’t you all teach all 28 doctrines every time you speak?” (Because our focus is Jesus and there’s plenty of other places people can go to learn those - we don’t have to say everything Adventists believe every time we speak, do we? We focus on lifting up Jesus so that all will be drawn towards Him - John 12: 32)

Following Jesus has consequences, but we don’t focus on the consequences, we focus on Jesus. Paul does the same during this courtroom drama. Paul states the facts after the Jews brought their case to the Felix, the governor. He doesn’t hide who he is or what he believes, “I follow the Way...I worship the God of our ancestors...I firmly believe the Jewish law...I have the same hope...I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.” These are Paul’s confessions. No amount of lies or negative consequences thrown his way are going to cause him to stray from the one he worships.

The chapter ends with Paul remaining in custody for the next two years, though he has freedom to see people and continue to write. No real justice occurred, everyone in that courtroom were there for their own causes, advancements, and comforts.

But Paul stayed true to his calling in spite of it all. He stayed true to the Way even when it was incredibly hard, because he couldn’t imagine life any other way.
We are never promised easy in the life of following Jesus, just that He is with us every step of the way. It is important for us to take time to be sure of what we believe, to fix our eyes regularly on Jesus, and to participate in community so that we may be prayed over and encouraged along the way.

May we always remember Jesus’ words before His own courtroom scene...
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33

And as hard as the “consequences” of following Jesus can be at times, let us also remember that our lives on this earth are but a blink of an eye, but our lives with Jesus are forever. Let us live for our forevers, clinging to Jesus every step of the way.

Take Courage

Something I’ve always found startling about Paul’s story is his courage to say things. In Acts 23, Paul makes a controversial statement knowing there were people present who disagreed with him. He says, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial (Acts 23:6, ESV).” In that moment not everyone believes as he does about the “hope (Acts 23:6)” of the future. In verse 9, the Pharisees wonder if an encounter with the Divine has prompted this statement; “…We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him? (Acts 23:9, ESV)” 

From our perspective as the readers of this text today who have knowledge of the full story, we know this was exactly the case. Even the chapter prior refers to this, as Paul shares how his life was changed in response to a voice (Acts 22:7, ESV). Would this possibility have been suggested had Paul not made this statement? Who knows. It’s possible to speculate, but we don’t know for sure.

What we do know for sure is that Paul’s words had impact. Look back in the previous chapters in Acts and look ahead in the coming chapters to see the impact of Paul speaking. Look around, as the good news of Jesus who brings hope, was and is shared with the world in dedication and courage, the same courage displayed by Paul. 

In chapter 23, verse 11, God speaks to Paul saying, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome (Acts 23:11, ESV).”  What do you think of when you read this verse? What comes to my mind is the act of speaking up, whether it’s the legal sense of testifying or a testimony in church. The core concept present is verbalizing what has happened or what is believed as truth.

God affirms to Paul what he has done and prompts Paul for what’s ahead. The same is true for us today; there is more ahead for us in sharing the message and love of God. We can speak and testify to how God has been present and worked in our lives personally and corporately through our words and actions. And we can prepare for what’s to come and what God is calling us to do.

May our prayer be that in our words and actions we reveal and exemplify the grace, love, and power of the One who loves each and every one of us.

If you haven’t read Acts 22, you should, and you should, right now before you read this post. A lot is happening that will be referred to in this short article. But a quick overview tells us that Paul is speaking to a crowd like he often does, and he tells them about his conversion. His lengthy testimony is a witness to the calling of God on his life.

Paul begins by letting them know where he was born and that he was born a Jew. He also lets them know that he studied under Gamaliel. Gamaliel was called the “master” and “prince” and was the president of the Sanhedrin in the early part of the first century. Paul was therefore establishing his credentials. When you study under someone considered a “master,” your education will be considered beyond reproach. So Paul was making sure they knew where he came from, his provenance, and how he had gotten to where he was.

He mentioned how he had been knocked off his horse and heard the voice of God. With this occurrence, his whole life changed. He heard the voice of God, and when he clarified who this God was, he was given the name of Jesus.

This just goes to prove that the name of Jesus changes everything.

When did you first hear the name of Jesus in a way that changed everything? Was there a moment when you heard that name, and your life was never the same? Many people have this moment, and some people have a long and faithful journey toward God, and after years of proximity, the Holy Spirit moves Jesus into their hearts in a way that changes it all.

When the crowd heard his entire testimony, they wanted him dead. They didn’t understand, or perhaps they did understand that he was there to tear down all those things they had taken for granted, and that allowed them to be in a privileged position. It is the same reaction that Jesus often had after he spoke. People were amazed, angered, and wanted to kill him.

Why are we so afraid of things changing? It may be because we understand what we have to lose.

This was the same reaction we experienced in the One Project initially. People wanted us to stop, telling us that we weren’t Adventists anymore and that we were even doing something evil. It was shocking to us.

But more than that, it was telling. They understood that the name of Jesus changes everything if we take it seriously. And although Paul was lucky enough to be a Roman citizen, and therefore was not able to be tortured, although ultimately killed, we had to survive the slings and arrows coming from those in the church that did not want anything to be changed.
 
I will be forever grateful for hearing the name of Jesus in a way that changed my world. And I hope you will have the same experience when you hear the name of Jesus at just the right time. Like Paul, it may just knock you off your horse, but for sure it will send you to the ends of the earth to proclaim his name.

I'll never forget the inquisitive look on peoples faces. It was a typical Saturday morning. I was watching a preacher deliver a freshly brewed sermon for church, when as the pastor began to speak, they did something unusual.

They invited a member of the audience up to the stage, asked them to get on the ground, and then proceeded to kneel on their neck while preaching the rest of their sermon. Instantly the room changed. Some people thought it was a bold, creative way to pay respect to a man who’s life had recently been taken. Others took it as an insult, wondering how the pastor could be so disrespectful and insensitive.

I understood what the preacher was trying to do. I would not be comfortable getting on stage and doing something like that. Yet, I know their motive was to bring awareness to something terrible that had happened. To do so, they knew they needed to make a scene.

Making a scene is effective. This is why people make scenes all the time! Parents yell at teachers when grades aren't going well, kids throw tantrums to get their way, and anyone who works in customer service can tell you that many people deserve their own drama series on HBO. Yet, this week as I read through Acts 21, I came across a scene which reminded me a lot of that preacher.

In Acts 21 we find Paul and some of his companions in a new town to preach. It was a busy time. They had been to many places sharing the gospel, and we're gearing up to preach to new crowds. Yet as they were preparing, the text says something strange happened.

“A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

Agabus, a prophet from Judea, rolled up on Paul, snatched his belt, tied up his own hands and feet, and then proceeded to prophesy about his future. Strange story, am I right?

It may not be a scene like the one I saw in church that day, but it definitely has the same drama factor. And when I first read this story, I could only imagine what it would have been like to be in the room that day. I'm sure Paul's companions were looking around and wondering what in the world was going on. But see, as surprising as Agabus’s actions were that day, I think what surprised everyone the most, was how Paul responded to him.

The text says in Acts 21:13, “Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

When faced with the promise of suffering, Paul didn't argue. He didn't question, or try to distort anything that Agabus said to meet his cultural and political persuasions. Rather, when Paul was told that preaching the word was going to get him into trouble, he simply said – Bring it on.

Paul looked at Agabus and proclaimed that he would not only follow Jesus to prison, he would follow Jesus to the grave. Jesus had grabbed a hold of Paul's heart, and as a result, nothing else truly mattered to him. He undeniably had given Jesus. All.

Am I at that place in my friendship with Jesus? Do I have the faith of Paul? Would I allow myself to be uncomfortable for Christ?

These are the questions Acts 21 stir in my heart. They are difficult and daunting to wrestle with in our postmodern society that values convenience and comfort. Yet, I encourage you to grapple. Take a moment to wrestle away — ask yourself the hard questions. Knowing that in the midst of our wrestling, we are not alone, but we join a long line of those who have come before us. Those who were not content to live their lives for momentary pleasures, and fleeting feelings, but those who came to the freeing understanding that the only way to truly gain our lives is to lose them.

“Worth The Risk”

What is a life worth risking for? Fame. Money. Reputation. Love. comfort. I don’t know that many besides the bold, and ruggedly honest would admit to risking their lives for money, fame, comfort or love. I mean it wouldn’t be the prudent thing to do, admitting risking the most precious resource we have (life) for such temporal things that fade so quickly. Right?

Yet…

We regularly hear about people going through amazing and dangerous feats in hope of realizing the greatness of fame, depth of love, or lavishness of money. Just do a google search to see the hundreds of young people who suffer great physical harm completing a Tik Tok challenge, or some social media trend, hoping to go viral. Or look through the thousands of songs in our favorite music steaming app about love and it’s “complex” relationship to dying, as the major hit song on every corner of Tik Tok, by Katie Gregson-Macleod, points out.

Over and over again we find ourselves lost in the moment, willing to risk it all, for things that promise fulfillment but often just leave a hollow regret, or a hunger for something more satiable. If you have ever risked too much for too little, don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

But..

Could there be more that we could risk our lives for? Well, if we were asking Paul, he would shout from the mountain tops a resounding YES! Acts 20 is a great reminder that Paul was constantly risking it all, strategically doing the most he could within his power, whether by travel route or congregational meetings,  for the gospel to reach as far and as deep as possible.

“I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” (Acts 20:22-24)

Is there nothing more anxiety prone then the words, “I don’t know what will happen.” There is very few more vulnerable, and frightening phrases in all of human existance then those 6 words. We’ve all been through moments where we’ve had to say to ourselves or to people we trust deeply that we aren’t sure what is coming next in the sequence of life.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me, and I don’t know what will happen.”
“I’m going to tell the truth and I don’t know what will happen.”
“I’m going to apply for that job/school/grant/court order…”
“I am going to get the exam…”

Paul with clear heart and mind chooses to move forward in his plans to reach Jerusalem regardless of the outcome. He has already gotten through dangers and snares because the Spirit has led him thus far. But it’s not enough. He will continue to push and push until he completes the “race” set before him.

Paul counted the cost and chose Jesus. He didn’t want riches, fame, or comfort. There were no riches in his line of work. In fact, he had to have a side job of building tents in order for him to have enough to keep doing the work. He was infamous and was sought after for imprisonment and death, but that is not the kind of fame that most of us seek today. This third mission voyage was anything but comfortable on boat rides, and by foot, changing plans often to stay alive.

However, there is one from my original list at the beginning that Paul chose to die for.

Love.

Paul chose to die for love. Not the love that emotional passion can arouse in us. This facade of love that masks impassioned self-centered infatuation isn’t what Paul was willing to die for. Instead, it was the love that is found in deep a commitment of self-sacrifice which calls each us to pick up our cross and come follow Jesus. This Agape love that emanates from Christ to all who gaze into his countenance. Paul saw this on Damascus and would not turn back again.

May you and I gaze deeply into Jesus and find that we too are willing to risk it all!

Acts 19 is a very interesting chapter indeed. If you have read it, then you know what is going on. If not, you are struck by a few things from the beginning. First, that Appolos had a pretty serious preaching ministry, and many were converted in Ephesus. This is important due to the import of the city itself. Ephesus was a large port town, where the temple of Artemis was located. In some respects, it was one of the most important cities in all of Asia Minor. In fact, the library in Ephesus was so famous that many came just to see it. This would have been like the church moving to New York and finding some real cache amongst its citizens. 

When Paul found himself there, he was interested in what kind of baptism these people had received. He was concerned they didn’t know the whole of the Gospel narrative at that point. And sure enough, they hadn’t heard of the Holy Spirit. That might seem pretty strange, but in the early parts of the Christian tradition there were so many itinerant preachers, that some of them did not have the whole of the Gospel. As they had received the baptism of Joh, which was a baptism of repentance. But they had yet to receive the Holy Spirit. When they heard this, they were amenable to his teaching and they were baptized. Whether it was by Paul or not is not the point.  The point was that they were ready to baptize into the new knowledge and spirit they had received.

I recently had the honor and privilege to rebaptize a friend who had discovered something new about himself, his family, and his lineage. This revelation changed much in his life, and he decided that he would like to be baptized into this new knowledge, and to this new identity. It was not that he had left his faith, but this new perspective created a new desire to make a new commitment with his new identity. Sometimes, new knowledge begs a new commitment. 

Paul spent significant time in Ephesus and his ministry was vital to the growth of the church, but it was not without controversy. 

The final parts of Chapter 19 have to do with a right that happened due to the effectiveness of Paul’s teaching. The guild that was responsible for creating the idols that so many worshipped were actually challenged by the impact of Paul’s teaching on idols and their  antithetical nature.

Can you imagine a message so powerful it impacts the economy of the region? Do we preach with such effectiveness? Are we hopeful for it?

What kind of message could you bring to the world today that might be a disruptive message, calling people back to a new focus, a new hope, and a new trajectory for their lives? This is what we hope for!

Perhaps this chapter is. About the power of preaching. Perhaps it is about the Holy Spirit, or baptism. The truth is that this chapter is about the power of God through the Holy Spirit, through those who he had called, and through the community where they are found as well. These three things need to work together in order to make an impact in the ancient world, and today is not so different.

We lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to make our words powerful. The impact we have leads to changed hearts and hopefully to baptism.As ell, the community can be impacted by our words. This can be seen as good or bad, and here in acts 19 it was clearly seen as a disruption.

But if the Gospel isn’t a disruption to our daily lives, to our pocketbooks, or to our trajectories, is it even the Gospel at all?

1. Have you ever heard a sermon that was so powerful it changed everything? 
2. How can you preach with power? 
3. Is there a community that needs to be changed by the Power of God, and will they revolt when you tell them?

“Park People.” That was the name of a “community group” seeking new members in Broomfield, Colorado – my suburban town on the outskirts of Denver. Needless to say, I did not sign up. In your own mind, I’m sure that you have your own image of who the members of “Park People” might be. The possibilities are endless.

Priya Parker is an expert on facilitating groups and gatherings. In her book, “The Art of Gathering”, Parker notes the secret of success when using Meetup, an online platform for creating offline gatherings. She shares, "To increase the likelihood of success, Heiferman (the CEO of Meetup) and his team started to encourage organizers to put more specificity in the group's title, not just the descriptions…When an organizer writes a group name, the more adjectives she uses to descript the group, the more likely the group will have what Meetup calls 'tightness of fit.'" Specificity in messaging helps groups to solidify their core members while moving their mission and message forward.
 
In the book of Acts, Paul and his team found themselves adhering to Parker’s message. He was doing it right. The message Paul shared was unique and specific, but for some reason, the target audience of Torah-memorizing Jews, could not get on board. When faced with hateful opposition, Paul shakes the dust from his clothing and says, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles," Acts 18:6.

Throughout his missionary journeys, Paul pivots. Although you might sense a bit of frustration in his statement to the disbelieving Jews, Paul doesn't seem weighed down by discouragement. How does Paul so easily dust off his clothes and move on, even when his message isn't landing, even when those who oppose him drag Paul into court before mercilessly beating him? Despite all of this, we never find Paul feeling offended or wavering in his belief. I'd like to argue that it is because he is one hundred percent confident in his message and belief. I believe Paul's complete trust in the message he was sharing directly impacted the level of offense he took when faced with rejection (…no offense).

One would think after facing such fierce rejection countless times, Paul would have stopped, or at least questioned, if what he was saying was true or even worth all the sacrifice. Yet, Paul continued to take no offense while steadfastly moving from group to group, sharing the same good news as he did in the town before. It's amazing and maybe even a little insane when you look at it from a "rational" perspective.

I can't help but put myself into Paul's shoes and wonder how I would have reacted in those situations.  How do you react when you are confident that you have “done it right,” but still meet opposition? Unfortunately, I believe that I might not follow in Paul’s footsteps. I'd like to blame it on my spicy personality, but in all honesty, I think it is because Paul's roots run a bit deeper than my own.

I wonder if Meetup's concept of specificity applies to my feeling of having "shallow roots" when I’m met with opposition. “Park People” is ambiguous and therefore, not for me. If I saw a very specific Meetup group for "Karate in the park with lightsabers," I would also know, “that’s not a group for me.”

When I read the messages that Paul shares about Jesus, I see that they are specific and meaningful. I know that they are for me. If you're feeling like your roots are just below the surface lately, I encourage you to lean into the specifics of Jesus. Rely on the specificity of each word that Jesus spoke, realizing that His communications were intentional and unique. And the beauty of Jesus’s specificity is that it reaches us all, wherever we are – whether an ambiguous “Park person,” or a specific “Karate in the park with lightsabers person,” Jesus has words that will land. He chose his words with a purpose. Today, allow His words to take hold of your life, and may your roots grow deeper.

I sat on one side of a large square table in an executive room suite on the top floor of a building. On three walls of the room were projectors and screens, while the fourth wall was a floor to ceiling window overlooking the city landscape. As the players in the room introduced themselves, there was a chief executive officer (CEO), a CFO, a CMO, and loads of other top leaders within the organization. Then there was me, a pastor. What in the world was I doing in that room?

I wonder if Paul ever felt that way in his missionary journey’s. If he ever stepped back and said, “How in the world did I get here?” Acts 17 has one of those potential moments. A moment Paul was probably ecstatic to be a part of, but a moment of standing in awe at how God leads.

Before we get to that particular moment, the chapter begins with Paul and Silas meeting resistance by some of the Jews in Thessalonica. These Jews were jealous that Paul and Silas were winning converts over to the Way of Jesus, so they started to turn the city upside down to find and likely persecute them. But Paul and Silas escape unscathed.

What was the radical message Paul and Silas were expounding? That there was another king than Caesar. Folks, these aren’t fighting words, these are dying words. And yet, these missionaries couldn’t imagine doing anything else with their lives than sharing the good news of their King, Jesus.

Paul and Silas leave to another region where they find less resistance, but before you know it, Paul finds himself in the city of Athens, standing in the middle of the Areopagus. The Areopagus was the place where the leading Greek teachers and philosophers gathered to discuss the latest wisdom and to gather new information and understanding about the world. Paul was brought there because some had overheard him in the marketplace and they wanted to hear more.

I absolutely love what happens next, for Paul has spent enough time in Athens observing the people that he figures out a way to connect with their deepest hunger.
He tells them, “Men of Athen, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” First, he compliments them. Who doesn’t want to listen more to someone who thinks highly of you?

Then Paul goes on to explain that they are worshipping and hungering for something that they don’t have a name for, that they can’t grasp. He offers to introduce them to what that unnamed hunger is, and he tells them about Yahweh. Paul even quotes their own authors to help them realize that Yahweh is actually already all around them, “In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17: 28)

Paul’s interaction with the people is so respectful of their own culture and understanding. He is the great evangelist, but notice what happens at the end of the story. It says that “some men joined him and believed.” This wasn’t the kind of ending like we had in the first few chapters of Acts where the people that heard the gospel and believed ranged in the 1,000’s. This moment led to “some” believing the message.

The call of Christ is to witness to others in the same manner that Christ witnessed to us. He became one of us, lived among us, earned our trust through loving kindness and service, and then He invited us to follow Him. And just like when Jesus was on earth, not everyone will heed the call. But for those that do, their lives and their world will be better for it.

So whether we’re turning the world upside down and seeing countless others accept Jesus, or we’re building a relationship of trust with a neighbor that takes years to come to a place of introducing them to Jesus, may we remember to follow God’s lead, for it is truly in Him at all times that we live, and move, and have our being.

Turns out that room I was in that day, was a room full of highly successful people who were trying to figure out ways to help the people in their organization see Jesus more clearly. I still felt out of place, but when I found that out, I at least knew why God put me in that place. I just hope the work we did that day is still winning some over to the joy that is a life with Jesus.

“6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16 6-10

What are your dreams? We all have them. You know those pesky yet exciting thoughts that constantly run through the back of our minds? Those are what dreams are made of!

For some people, dreams preoccupy almost every ounce of free time they have. Maybe you can relate because you were the kid in school who would daydream all day – I surely never did that. Or, maybe you are the employee who always has fresh vision and new direction! Regardless of where you stand, something we all can agree with is that dreams are special.

Dreams are a very real part of our human experience. As I look at my life, it has been full of dreams. I have had dreams about where I would live, what I would do, starting a family and more. If you are reading this, chances are that your life has been filled with dreams as well.

We all have desires, and aspirations, and things that we want to see happen. And this is good! In fact, it is Biblical. God wants us to dream, and cast vision, and create plans for how we steward our lives and the leadership he gives us.

Yet when looking at our lives, something we can learn pretty quickly is that our dreams and God's dreams don't always line up. They don't always come together how we want them to. So as a result, we can find ourselves angry and upset with God. Therefore, the question that we have to grapple with is how do we respond when God's dreams aren't the same as ours?  What do we do? How do we move forward?

To answer this question, all we need to do is look at our text this week. This week we have been studying Acts 16, and in Acts 16:6-10, we find Paul and some of his friends outside of a place called Bithynia. And something the text tells us, is that Paul had not yet gone into Bithynia before to preach. In fact, he had never even been to Asia! And so when Paul got to the gates of Bithynia, he was ready to go in! He had been dreaming of the day. He wanted to see the gospel spread and people receive the gift of salvation.

Paul had this desire deep within him growing each and every day. Yet as he and his companions approached the city, something big happened. The text says, “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.”

Paul had finally gotten to where he wanted to go. He was right at the cusp of attaining his dream to preach to the people. But in the midst of his dreams, God said no. God didn’t allow him and his friends to go into the city they wanted to preach in. And when this happened, you know what Paul and his boys did? The text says they moved on to another city. They went to a place called Troas, and there they set up camp and went to sleep.

But after Paul had gone to sleep, God did another powerful thing — God gave Paul a God dream. In the middle of the night God came to Paul in a dream and the text says, “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

God came to Paul and told him where he needed him to go and when he did that, Paul was willing. He took the vision as a sign, and he allowed his will to be let go, so he could grab onto what God wanted him to do.

And I think this is the path to peace in the midst of life’s greatest dreams and biggest let downs. It is to bring everything before God, allowing him to veto or approve as he sees best. And so I’ll ask again, what are your dreams? What is it that is on your heart today?

Now, let me ask this — are you willing to let His dreams mess yours up? Only you can answer that question for yourself. May we each dedicate ourselves to giving Jesus. All.

I used to be really good at making things more complicated than they need to be. As a kid who was fascinated by how things worked, tightening a single bolt on my bike could turn into an afternoon taking the whole thing apart simply because I couldn’t resist the path that my curiosity led me down. As a teenager I hated cleaning my room, but somewhere along the line I realized that the chore was more enticing if I also rearranged all of the furniture in the process (one time—no kidding—I even convinced my parents to let me paint the walls and ceiling a new color before I put everything away). I like to think that I have matured beyond the annoying habit of making things overly cumbersome, but in the spirit of honesty I have to admit that I am still pretty good at it.

For example, on a recent trip to visit my parents in Michigan, we booked an extremely early return flight. But we had a relatively simple plan to get home smoothly.

In theory our plan looked something like this:

• Drive to the airport the night prior to our flight. 
• Sleep in the car in the cell phone lot until we return the rental car just in time to breeze through check in and security 
• Board flight and return home 

In reality our itinerary looked more like this:

• Drive to the airport (so far so good).
• Realize the car rental counter closes earlier than we thought, prompting a new plan to return the car and get to the airport where we could still theoretically sleep near our gate until boarding and departure.
• Arrive at TSA checkpoint only to learn that, while technically open, security is not able to allow passengers through for the next day’s flights until 3:00 a.m.
• Find a place to wait (and maybe sleep?) near check-in counter, only to learn that one of our fellow travelers has forgotten to charge his headphones, but has generously opted to share his favorite music at full volume with all of us in the area.
• Explain to our kids what “all of those words mean” and quietly encourage them to put on their own headphones while we all try to get some rest.
• Discover that we have in fact left one of our own sets of headphones in the rental car.
• Return to the rental car garage to relocate missing headphones.
• Make friends with Dale Smith, the rental garage attendant who miraculously helps us to retrieve our prodigal headphones and who earns a 10-star review from our family on the customer survey.
• Return to TSA at 3:00 a.m. to learn than we are in the right location, but have not used the correct line to reach that location. We will need to join the crowd around the corner only to return to the same location, but through the TSA-sanctioned lane dividers.
• Snag in airport security: I forget to remove my belt.
• Discover that our flight is an hour later than we thought. Maybe we should have stayed at my parents’ house and just driven the next morning?
• Snooze for what feels like 15 minutes at our gate.
• Board flight home.
• Arrive in Denver.
• Realize we left our phone charger on the nightstand at my parents’ house.

Maybe your particular experience looks different than my family’s most recent trip through the airport, but I think it’s possible that tendency to overcomplicate is just woven into the human condition, whether it manifests in little things like taking apart bikes or rearranging rooms or things that feel bigger, like trips to visit family. I’m sure someone smarter than me has come up with a formula to illustrate this idea, but it seems that as the importance of any particular situation increases, so does the human capacity to make that situation more complicated.

It should come as no surprise, then, that when it comes to something like following Jesus, the likelihood of things getting complicated from time to time is pretty high. This would certainly have been the case for the early Church as they were trying to figure out their way of being in the world. I can imagine that, among all of their other priorities, it must have felt really critical to get the nuances of what life should look like as a Jesus follower correct—it must have been, because the writer of Acts tells us they called a meeting to figure out the best way forward. At the same time, I love Paul’s advice to the council:

“Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?”

In other words: why are we trying to make life so difficult for people who want to follow Jesus when we can’t even follow our own rules?

Sometimes I wonder what our churches might look like if we asked ourselves the same question today. I suppose the conversation that followed would probably include phrases about “accountability” or “speaking truth in love” or “watering down the Gospel.” That last phrase has always bothered me, because if the word “gospel” really means “good news,” then the version of evangelism I grew up with starts to feel like sort of a bait and switch.

Here’s some good news, but there’s a catch.
Or…
Here’s some good news, but there is also some fine print…

I don’t think Jesus played those kinds of games, especially when it came to the gospel. Instead, I think he gave people good news that was usually pretty simple. I remember Jesus saying simpler things to his followers. Things like:

Let the little children come to me.
Or…
My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Or…
Come to me if you are weary and I will give you rest.

I should probably be careful to say that I’m not advocating for “cheap grace.” Instead, what I am suggesting is that when Jesus talked about removing the plank from our own eyes before helping our neighbors, he knew that life is complicated enough. Maybe, like the first followers of Jesus, we would do well to remember that life is complex, even before we factor in our own inclination to make it more difficult. What if we really believed following Jesus was so simple that anyone could to it?

That would be good news, indeed.