The Working Believer

In the first installment of this series, we looked at the question, "What is God's will for my life?" and the statement, "I'm just trying to seek God's will." These questions are not unimportant, but I suggested that perhaps we give them more gravity than is merited. The purpose of your life is an important thing to understand, but I do not believe it was ever meant to be some overly complicated, or mystic, pseudo-spiritual exercise by which we discovery the specific details and events along the way. As a quick review, the Purpose of our life is simply to KNOW Jesus, to REPRESENT Jesus, and to GLORIFY Jesus. Honestly…it really is that simple. This purpose supersedes any other aspect of our life, and even when events dramatically change the course and details of our lives, our core Purpose remains the same. To dive into that concept further, please read "3 Essentials to Knowing your Purpose (Part 1 of 3)". THE PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE ...

If you have never asked this question for yourself, I am confident that you have heard someone you know ask this question for themselves: "What is God's will for my life?" Or perhaps they didn't ask the question, but offered it up as a statement of mystic importance: "I'm just trying to seek God's will for me right now." And, full confession, I've asked that question, AND I've made that statement before while trying to understand some major decisions: life after high school, collegiate pursuits, jobs, churches in which I've served, and of course relationships. Here is another question that tends to raise more questions than it answers: "What is my calling?" Again, just the way that question sounds, or is asked by others ("What is your calling?"), it begs to be answered, but how do we answer it? What is a calling, and how do we go about figuring out what is our specific calling in life? Without realizing it, we ...

First…let me start by saying that I am not a fisherman. I've been fishing a few times as a kid. My dad took my brother and me fishing, but it was never something that appealed to me. Perhaps I lack the patience to sit and wait on the fish to decide whether or not the worm I put on the hook was adequate. Also…who are these fish to judge my worm!? You would think that a fish would appreciate the offer of a "free meal"…with one string, or test line attached to a very sharp hook. The distinction between lure fishing and net casting has been a fun thing to consider as I look at our modern church, and how we approach Missions, Outreach, and The Great Commission. The object is still to "catch fish", but the process and mindset of the approach may be key to understanding why our churches tend to grow stagnant, and our communities go unreached. LURE FISHING As a church, we have really fallen in love with the idea of Lure Fishing. What do I mean by that?...

Yes, Jena, Ada, and I will be moving to Union, South Carolina as I take on the role of Family Pastor at Mon-Aetna Baptist Church . It has been quite the journey these past several years, as we have trusted God's leading, and been lead through some pretty intense transitions, but all the while...He has proven absolutely faithful, and looking back, His sovereign hand has been clearly seen in each turn. As some of you know, our lives were thrown for a loop with the loss of a job back in June of this past year (2019). Leaving the details of that event aside, Jena and I had nothing and no prospects on the table. That weekend was a very trying time, and we were left only with one another, and our dependence on God to guide and provide. And, at the end of the day, that is truly all we need. While we were praying through options, I sent out several resumes to job opportunities, as well as sent my resume to several close friends of mine, brothers in Christ, that I have had the p...

What does Perfect Peace look like? Is it something that is even achievable? Looking to Christ, we can see this Perfect Peace in action, along with powerful reminders as to what our needs are as we seek each day to walk worthy of our calling, and to glorify God in everything we do and say. JESUS AS OUR EXAMPLE OF PERFECT PEACE 'When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” ' Matthew 8:23-27 In Mark's account, the Disciples mistook Jesus' calm for a lack of concern: 'Jesus Himself was in the stern...