Seventeen82

We are living in some wild and crazy times, and we all know it. I haven’t spoken with anyone in the last 6 months who thinks otherwise. It also seems that we are all asking the same question: How are we supposed to live with everything going on?    We have heard a load of answers to this question from all kinds of different voices. (Some are better than others.) As a Christian pastor, I am convinced, however, that the only voice Christians should listen to is that of God, which we find in the Bible.    The Apostle Peter, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us some really helpful instruction in his first letter on how we are to live at all times, but especially during those times of great uncertainty and confusion. I have identified 7 particular things we should be doing right now. Here they are.    1.       Trust the Lord Jesus with Our Lives (1 Peter 1:3-12)  – The first and most important thing any Christi...

I want to begin this post with a confession: I struggle with self-centeredness occasionally. Ok, you got me, I struggle with it a lot. That should come as no surprise to you or anyone else reading this post. You know that I am no different than you. You are also well aware that we both struggle with self-centeredness. Like the Apostle Paul, we fight the fleshly temptation to honor ourselves rather than God (Rom. 7:15-19). This is true for us even after our hearts have been transformed by the gospel of grace in Christ. I don’t know about you, but my self-centeredness is periodically seen in my attitude before, during and after corporate worship. This was true before I became a pastor, and sadly it’s still true. (Shh, don’t tell anybody. Pastors are supposed to be super-spiritual.) There are times when I don’t want to get out of bed, don’t want to get dressed, don’t want be around people, don’t want to sing the selected songs, don’t want to lead the prayers, and certainly d...

One of the common themes I keep hearing in, both from within the church and without, is- “I’m tired of all of this.” It’s funny that they don’t have to explain what “this” is. We all seem to know. People are tired of wearing masks, social distancing, limiting attendance, worrying about getting sick (or loved ones), working from home, zoom meetings, and isolation. Add to this all of the social, political, and economic strife flooding the news, social media, and conversations. The daily wrestling with intense emotions, day after day, is wearing people out. Tensions are higher, and conflict is greater in our nation, communities, and homes.  University Psychology departments are identifying this and calling it “Pandemic Fatigue.” I’m sure many in the Christian church, perhaps even in leadership roles, are experiencing this. Some may be suffering and trying to hide it, out of concern that they might appear weak in their faith or somehow ‘less’ a Christian than they should be.  Firs...