05

Jump Start # 4171

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4171

Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

  This past Saturday it was off to the concert once again for us. Heard a Beethoven piece and a Stravinsky piece that was really loud and very odd in my book. What was special about this concert was that we were not in Louisville. We’ve been going to classical concerts for more than a decade in Louisville. Now we have moved. It was the Indianapolis Orchestra that we watched. A different venue. Musicians that we do not know. Some had instruments that we had never seen before. Parking was different for us.

And, all of this presents a powerful lesson about different cultures or norms. We first experience this in marriage. Like two rivers blending together, each person brings in ideas and what was normal for them. Take for instance the opening of Christmas presents. In some families, all the presents are opened at once. The wrapping paper flies through the air and it’s like hogs going to the feeding trough. In other families, one present is opened at a time and everyone watches that person open it. Different ways of doing things. Different cultures. Is one better than the other? The way we were raised always seemed the best to us.

The same happens when a person switches congregations. They move to a new city. Different people. Different order of worship. Different schedule. I’ve experienced that in leaving Charlestown Road after eighteen years. I was very comfortable with the way things were done. I’m now a part of a congregation that does things differently. Not, unbiblical nor wrong, just different time of day when Bible classes are offered. Different way of doing Lord’s Supper.

Here are some lessons I learned:

First, give the new way a solid chance. The auditorium that the Indianapolis Orchestra played in is much fancier and nicer than where the Louisville Orchestra played. Parking was more expensive in Indy and we had to walk a bit. If we go into a new culture with our minds made up that we don’t like it, there is a good chance that we won’t like it. Church buildings are different. Preachers have different styles. Elderships operate differently. Give the new place a chance.

Second, don’t make the mistake of trying to turn the new place into the place you just left. That most often fails. People, situations and resources are different. If a congregation has Sunday Bible classes in the evening rather than the morning, learn to adjust, live with it, or find a place that is more to your liking. But, do not go in with an agenda to turn things upside down and change them. If you keep talking about the church you just left and how they did things you might find people wishing you’d go back there. What works in one place doesn’t always work in another place.

Third, as long as a congregation is following the Lord’s way, I must learn to be subject and bend my will for the sake of the group. Expecting everyone to cater to my likes and my wants sure sounds pretty selfish. And, if everyone acted that way, the congregation would splinter into a dozen pieces, as some have. Be a team player. You may share ideas that the new group hasn’t thought of, but don’t get upset if they pass on your idea.

Being flexible, patient and willing to find your place in the kingdom is what you do. My first Sunday at my new congregation, I was asked to be part of a weekly podcast, teach half of next year and put on the schedule to do other things.

Moving through different cultures and norms is really a part of life. We experienced that when we moved from grade school to middle school to high school to college. Each of those were different. We experience this when our children marry and new faces become a part of the family.

It is good to visit other places. Learn ideas. See how they do things. Share those ideas with others.

If I were asked which is better, Louisville Orchestra or Indianapolis, my answer would be both. They are different. They play amazingly. And, I can enjoy them without feeling that one has to change and be like the other.

A lot of headaches in a congregation could be prevented if we understood this Biblically and spiritually.

Roger

02

Jump Start # 4170

Posted on October 2, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4170

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

 Contentment and satisfaction live side by side on the same street. Someone who is not satisfied is not content and one who is not content is not satisfied. Contentment is a state of the mind. It’s a choice one makes.

We have moved into a new city and a new home after more than a decade in our house in Southern Indiana. My wife has asked me several times if I like the new place. It’s different than the last place. The yard is real small. The area is busy with traffic and stores. The church is different. I no longer have an office at the church building. It’s a new chapter in our lives. And, like any book, if the next chapter is the same as the last chapter, then one of them didn’t have to be written. I do like the new place. It feels like home.

When we look at contentment in the Scriptures most times it surrounds wages, circumstances and external things. There is a greater contentment that is not talked about very much. It is being content with God. Satisfied with God. I’ve poured a lot of thought into this lately. I believe much of the unrest that some congregations are experiencing these days comes from those who are not content with God. They are not satisfied with the way God has said things. They want improvements. They want changes. They have a progressive spirit and feel that certain things ought to evolve and keep up with culture. And, the bottom line is a faith issue. It’s being satisfied with God and content with God.

Here are some thoughts:

First, contentment with God begins with the understanding that God has always given the best and cannot be improved upon. Run through a list in Bible history. Could Adam have made a better place to live than the Garden of Eden? Could Noah have built a better boat than the ark? Could Moses have designed a better Tabernacle than what God did? Could we find a better Savior than Jesus? Could we develop a better message than the Gospel? Could we have built a better arrangement than the church to grow, fellowship and honor the Lord?

This is the starting point. If we can’t agree to this, then Isaiah’s words that “God’s way is higher than our way,” really means nothing. So the issue with instrumental music in worship, can be fought on the grounds of what certain words mean, the history of music, the difference between the O.T. and the N.T., the intention of everyone praising God, or simply, being content with God.

Social aspects and educational things that many want to attach to the church can be argued on the purpose of the church, what’s found in the Scriptures or simply being content with God.

 

Second, contentment with God leads to the understanding that we cannot do “God” better than God can. We can’t judge better than God. We can’t save better than God. We can’t be as compassionate as God. Let God be God. He never abandons His throne so we can sit there. He doesn’t give us the position to run the universe. Our ideas about how things ought to be usually fail because God has already revealed what is good and right.

Third, contentment with God takes a lot of pressure off of us. We don’t have to create new things. We don’t have to develop new ways. God’s way works. God’s way of marriage works. God’s way of parenting works. God’s way of evangelism works. God’s way of leadership works. Our obligation is to learn, believe and be content with what God has given to us. The Lord hasn’t hidden His ways from us. We do not play ‘hide ‘n seek’ with God. Seek and you will find, is the message of the Lord. Head home and you’ll find the Lord running towards you with open arms.

This means the way we do things, the way we worship, the message we preach is going to be the same as the last generation. And, it will be the same as it was in the 1800’s. And, it will be the same as it was originally. The church in Thessalonica was praised because it imitated the churches in Judea. It was not boldly going where no man has gone before. It wasn’t breaking new ground. It happily and contently, followed what others had been doing.

Some today tire of the old ways. They label it traditionalism or legalism. They want to look forward and not backward. They want new, different and original. What they lack is a heart that is content with God.

Satisfied with God – are you there? And, to be satisfied with God means to be satisfied with His word, His way, and His purpose. Are you there?

Roge

01

Jump Start # 4169

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4169

Ecclesiastes 3:7 “A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Final Words 

 

The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there. As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man did not stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid had already been put in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long, but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say “Amen,” “Praise the Lord,” and “Glory Be.” I preached and I preached, like I’d never preached before: from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

I closed the service with a prayer and walked back to my car. I felt I had done my duty for the homeless man and that the crew would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my tardiness.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, “I ain’t never seen anything like this before . . . and I’ve been putting’ in these septic tanks for over twenty years.”

 

Roger

February, 2006

 

01

Jump Start # 4169

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4169

Ecclesiastes 3:7 “A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Final Words 

 

The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there. As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man did not stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid had already been put in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long, but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say “Amen,” “Praise the Lord,” and “Glory Be.” I preached and I preached, like I’d never preached before: from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

I closed the service with a prayer and walked back to my car. I felt I had done my duty for the homeless man and that the crew would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my tardiness.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, “I ain’t never seen anything like this before . . . and I’ve been putting’ in these septic tanks for over twenty years.”

 

Roger

February, 2006

 

30

Jump Start # 4168

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4168

Romans 12:12 “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.”

I heard it recently in a prayer. Just a simple statement, but how bold, profound and amazing. The brother prayed, “Lord, put us where You want us to be.” I don’t think I have ever heard that before in a prayer. Put us where You want us to be.

Most times we are thinking where we want to be. We want to be somewhere safe. We want the land of easy and comfort. We want things to go our way. But, instead, the prayer asked, “Lord, put us where You want us to be.”

Our walk through Bible history shows that there are times and places where God’s people may not want to be, but it brought about faith in their hearts and glory to the Lord.

Consider:

  • Do you think Israel wanted to be squeezed in with Pharoah’s advancing army on one side and an impassable sea on the other side? They were where God wanted them to be. It allowed God to show His majesty and power.

 

  • Do you think the three Jewish men wanted to be tossed into a fiery furnace in Babylon. The men who put them in the fire died because of the intense heart. God didn’t rescue them BEFORE the furnace, but while IN the furnace. They were where God wanted them to be.

 

  • Do you think Paul wanted to be in a prison, hurting from a recent beating? By praying and singing that led to the conversion of the Philippian jailer. That likely would not have happened had they not been where God wanted them to be.

 

And, for us, how many would love to work at a place where the day began with a prayer, where Bibles were found on desks and everyone loved and respected each other. Instead, for many, it’s a gossipy, toxic situation where their faith is constantly challenged. We may wish away the day, hoping we could be somewhere better, but it may be that the Lord has you right where He wants you to be so you could shine your light.

 

Others may wish that they had a family where everyone went to worship together, loved each other and followed the Lord. Instead, foul language fills the air. Every meal has alcohol at the table. The talk is cheap and offensive. How we long for a better family. Maybe the Lord has you right where He wants you to be to help those people.

Here are a few thoughts for us:

First, we may not see nor understand why the Lord has us where we are. We see things through our feelings and our perspective. God sees the whole world. Pleasures and ease sound wonderful. The beach is more appealing than a dense thicket of brush. But the Lord knows what is best. Trust in the Lord.

Second, in many of the difficult situations we find God’s people in throughout the Bible, there seems to be glorious hope at the end. Through faith they made those difficult situations better. By staying with the Lord, others saw. It is upon the anvil of life that our character is forged and shaped. We learn. We trust. We follow. The darkness of the night and the terror of storms can do more for our faith and character than a month of sunny days. Our faith is only good if we use it.

Third, eventually, where God wants us to be is with Him. We wants us walking with Him now and spending forever with Him in His home. It is a journey with twists and turns and decisions that can be challenging. By faith we keep going. By faith we keep with the Lord.

 

A simple thought in a prayer: Lord, put us where you want us to be. Can you pray that?

Roger