21

Jump Start # 3030

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3030

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

One of the most profound struggles that Christians face is what I call the “head and heart” issue. This is an internal battle. And, the stronger of the two, either the head or the heart, wins the battle. And, the way this is often manifested is in the lives of our young people.

For years mom and dad have kept them safe. They have sheltered and protected them from ad shows, bad language and bad people. They have only known the truth. They haven’t looked very far outside the box. Their friends were chosen through the influence of the parents.

But a time comes when that child leaves the shelter of the home. Off to college. Off to start a new job, a “big-boy” job as we often called them. And, for the first time, that child is around more people that are not like him. There are those who are openly against religion and have a chip on their shoulder about that. There are those who are excited and very commitment to Jesus, but they worship in ways far differently than your child has ever seen. And, as your child makes friends, new ideas, new theories, new questions begin to cross his mind and even cloud his thinking.

Maybe there is more than just the way I was brought up, he begins to think. Maybe the arguments of others are right. And, for the first time, your child faces a “head and heart” conflict. Their head knows the facts. The facts do not change. The facts are Biblically based. The heart however, wants to accept others and in some ways even become like others. The head and the heart have a conflict. Facts verse feelings. Truth verse emotions. Head verse heart.

Many families go through this and in many ways, each of us have dealt with this head and heart difference. When the heart wins, it is an emotionally based decision. When the head wins, it is fact and faith based decision. What complicates all of this is when you start adding people into the equation. It’s his girlfriend, or her roommate, or his boss, or her best friend. Suddenly, the heart issues rise to the surface. The truths of the Bible become cloudy and not as clear as they once were. The Bible hasn’t changed, it’s the eyes of one being led by their heart. Surely, this person that I am in love with, could not be wrong? They are doing so much more than what we are doing? They focus more upon love and grace and they are making a difference in the community. And, all of a sudden, the needle points to the heart more than the head.

Parents who do not understand this, simply stack more and more verses into the argument. They do not realize that within their child, there is a struggle going on between what they know is right and what they want to be right.

I’ve had this discussion with many parents. How do you deal with head and heart issues?

First, don’t shout. The volume of your voice is not what will change the outcome of this discussion. Do not threaten. Do not say you’ll run and tell the elders of the church. Pressure and force is not the way to deal with this.

Second, let your child know that the struggle between the head and the heart is very common. You have had some of those internal battles. Praise them for wanting to do what is right and for their love for others.

Thirdly, in a proper setting, open Bibles and just look together. Let the Bible be the answer. Don’t color the conversation with articles from our fellowship. For instance, after the resurrection of Jesus, who was considered saved? What determined that? Was their any exceptions? Get some paper and pens out and together talk and look in the Scriptures. What is the big deal about instrumental music? Does it matter how often the Lord’s Supper is taken? Fair questions. Fast balls down the middle. Find the answers and then understand that the head knows what is right.

Fourth, realize one conversation, one study will likely not be enough. Be open to read what she is being influenced by. Look at the material together.

Let your child know that you love him and always will love him. Our foundation is built upon Scriptures. You may have to do your own homework as a parent. You may have to do some digging to find the answers before you sit down. Don’t chop away at everything. Not all things are false. But reason as adults. If your child gets upset, call it a day for the study. Give it a little time. Come back and look at it again. Ask for proof. Where is the evidence?

Head and heart…it’s something that has to be understood and dealt with.

Roger

18

Jump Start # 3029

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3029

Matthew 20:6-7 “And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard.’”

Our verse today comes from the powerful story of the laborers in the vineyard. Throughout the day the laborers were hired to pick grapes. With an hour left in the day, “the eleventh hour,” our verse is found. This is not about death-bed repentance. The idea of someone coming to the Lord at the last minutes before he dies is a popular explanation of this passage. No one in this story dies. This parable is about the generosity of God. The last, who did so little, were made equal to the first, who did so much. The first shall be last and the last shall be first ends the chapter before and also, ends this story. Twice Jesus says that.

The first, very likely, were the apostles. They bore the hardships that few every witnessed. Going places where they were the only believers, hunted down and persecuted harshly, they literally wore themselves out for the Lord. Along came others after them. People like Timothy, Titus, Apollos. Then others after those. On and on, down to you and I. We get up on a nice Sunday morning, drive to a fancy church building where we will be singing hymns projected on a screen,  eating the Lord’s Supper that is ready, listening to a preacher with a sermon, around us are deacons serving and shepherds leading the flock. Class material is printed. Things are projected up on the screen for us to see. All of us having our own Bibles. Life is good. It wasn’t that way for those first few workers. And, when this life is over, the eleventh hour folks receive the same as the first hour laborers. Sure doesn’t seem right, nor fair. But, that’s the goodness of God’s heart.

Our verse is about the last laborers. It’s the eleventh hour, which would be five o’clock Jewish time. The day was almost over. They have been idle all day. No one has picked them. Imagine standing around for eleven hours. That’s a long time, a very long time. Why not just go home? If they did, there was no hope of making any money. Going home meant giving up. Going home means your family won’t eat that day. These workers stuck around all day hoping. They were hoping someone would come and use them.

Now, some lessons for us.

First, some are idle because that’s the way they want to be. One of the common things we hear these days are, “Where are all the workers?” Every place seems to have a “Now hiring” sign. I saw one fast food place that said, “Work today. Get paid tomorrow.” No waiting two weeks to get your check. Next day. Now, idleness in the work force is an economic problem and something the government needs to look into. Idleness in the kingdom is far worse. And, this is something that isn’t addressed very often. We complain because tables in restaurants are empty, yet one has to wait 45 minutes before they are seated. Why? Not enough workers. Yet, how many times within a year is the call made from the pulpit that we need teachers for the next quarter and everyone looks down at the floor. Not me. Not me, either. And, what often happens, is the same worn out, tired, needing a break teachers have to teach. Why? Because others are standing idle. The call is made, but they don’t answer. We need more shepherds. Not me, is the reply. Not ready, is the common answer. Could it be that some are idle and they just want it to be that way. Equipping the saints to serve is what God wants us to do. However, it does little good, when people have made up their minds, I’m not going to teach. I’m not going to pitch in. I’m not going to do anything.

Second, some may be idle because they are holding out for something big. And, while they wait and wait, the little things are left undone. Found in the qualities for a deacon is those that have proven themselves. They have already shown themselves to be trustworthy, dependable and useable. Don’t rely upon the guy who has a quick excuse. Don’t count on the one who is all talk and no action. Before anyone will call upon you for something big, show them that you can do something little.

Third, some are idle because they have convinced themselves that they cannot do anything. Less than one talent, they believe they have no talent. They see what others can do and they quickly admit that they can’t do those things. So, rather than finding what they can do, they remain idle. The way to overcome this is to stop comparing yourself with others. Everyone can do something. Find what you are good at. Try somethings. If public worship, public teaching isn’t in your bag of talents, find ways to encourage, support and help behind the scenes. Be one who invites. Be one who greets. Be one who is always there. Be one who smiles. Be one who sends the cards. Be one who takes food or mails gift cards. Be the one who makes the place look nice and tidy. Be the one who pulls the weeds. Be the one who shovels snow. Be the one who passes out class material. You can do something, because God made you. It’s easy to hide behind our excuses, but idleness is not helping anyone.

Fourth, some are idle because they believe the Lord can’t use them and doesn’t need them. We need to stop whining, crying and attending every pity party we throw. The prophet said, “Here am I. Send me.” Caleb said, “Give me this mountain.” The Lord said, “Go unto the world.” Mary anointed Jesus. She did what she could. Dorcus made garments for the disciples. Barnabas encouraged. Timothy brought books. A boy shared his snack that was used to feed the multitudes. Wealthy women financed the Lord and the apostles. Rahab hid the spies. Simon carried the Lord’s cross. Nicodemus took the Lord off the cross. Joseph offered his tomb for Jesus. Moments in time. People rising up. People speaking out. People drawing a line. People doing what they could. And, yes, the Lord needs you. You have a network of family and friends. You have talent. You have opportunities. Don’t be standing idle all day long.

Interestingly, in our passage, as soon as the idle worker was called, he went. He wasn’t idle after he was chosen. Is that you? Are you still on the sidelines of faith? Are you watching others but you remain idle? How are you going to answer the Lord’s question, “Why have you been standing here idle?” Are you going to hide behind your age? I’m too young. I’m too old. Are you going to hide behind your family? I’m too busy. Are you going to hide behind work? I’ve covered up at work. Or, I’m in school. Or, I’m single. Or, I’m about to retire. Or, I have aging parents to take care of. Or, I like to travel.

Why are you standing idle all day long? The Lord wants to know. The church wants to know. Isn’t time for you to pick up your basket and head to the vineyard?

Roger

17

Jump Start # 3028

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3028

1 Corinthians 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness.”

My adult life I have preached. I am a preacher. Years ago, another preacher was bragging on me from the pulpit. He was pouring it on, too much to my liking. He said that I could have killed it in the business world. He said I would have climbed high and fast. But I didn’t. I preached. And, just why do I preach?

It is good to remind ourselves of these lessons. We preachers do not run the church. That’s not our role. We do not write budget proposals. We do not organize people. We preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what we do. Why?

First, there is no other message that will save us. Good health, good exercise, good nutrition, good habits, good finances—there’s a place for all of that. But a person can have all of those and still lose their soul. Nothing does more good for us, for our families, for our communities and for the world than the salvation of our soul. Our insides and our outsides change when we obey the Gospel of Christ. Attitudes improve. Goodness abounds. Hope is resurrected. And, all of this transcends death and lasts into eternity.

Second, there is no other message that Satan fears more than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When tempted, Jesus presented the word of God before Satan. He fled. He will run when he faces God’s word. He cannot overcome the Bible. The truth. The facts. The power. The joy. The hope. The promises. It will crush Satan. We preach and the more we preach the more Satan is on the run.

Third, there is no other message that reveals what is coming. The “experts” have their theories, but they don’t know. Environmental disasters. Asteroids crashing to the earth. Nuclear wars. Famines. Aliens. All kinds of ideas. Only one knows, and that is the Lord. And, He has told us what is coming. He has told us where we are going. He has told us what to do. The future is not a mystery. We are not in the dark. With God’s word we know. No other message can tell us, only God’s word.

Fourth, no other message can truly help us through the storms of life. Sure, there are self-help tips for disasters and ways to prepare, but the faith that will keep us strong, going, content and righteous, is God’s word. The foolish man’s house collapsed because he did not believe. Our homes, our marriages, our hopes, collapse when the storms come and we have no faith. The message of the Lord reminds us that God is still upon the throne. It reminds us that troubles come and go, but He remains. It reminds us that God is greater than any storm we can face.

We preach the Gospel. We do not preach politics. Politics can not save us. Our hope is not in the White House, the state house, the court house or even the church house. Our hope is in the Lord. We do not preach our agendas. We do not preach our opinions. We do not preach what our culture wants. We do not preach about ourselves. We preach the saving message of Jesus Christ.

This message will knock the shine off of your shoes some days. It will step on your toes. It will sting you, but you need that to change. That message will bring a tear to your eyes. It will remind you what your Savior went through just for you. That message will heal a broken heart. The tears of sorrow can dry when we hear that message of Jesus Christ. It can lift the discourage. It can chase worry and doubt out of our hearts and homes.

The preachers of the Gospel have never been famous, honored nor special. They are simply servants of Jesus Christ. Young men need to think about preaching. It’s the greatest work that anyone can ever do. Don’t change the message of Christ. Don’t make it more appealing by softening it’s message. Don’t try to make the message of Jesus fit in with the world. Don’t be ashamed of what God has said.

Go into all the world and preach. What beautiful words those are. What an honor it is to do this!

Roger

16

Jump Start # 3027

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3027

Ephesians 6:4 “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

It has never been easy raising children, especially teens. Very often, teens look like adults on the outside, but act like children on the inside. Maturity, hormones, wanting to do things their own way, fitting in, all become jumbled up on their insides. I love our teens who have already made a promise and a commitment to follow Christ. What a huge advantage they will have. They have a network of godly people who are on their side and want to see them do well.

Our times, our culture, our government makes it hard for teens to be godly. Bad examples are everywhere. And, what teens need is to have parents who are not trying to be their best friend, but rather parent them into the right moral and godly choices. And, our teens will make mistakes. You did. I did. How parents handle and deal with those mistakes can help or make matters even worse.

Here are a few suggestions when talking with your teenager:

First, timing is everything. They seem to live in a different time zone than everyone else, even though they are in the same house. How you approach talking to them is as important as what you actually say. “We need to talk” translates in teen language to “I’m in trouble, and you are going to make my life more difficult.”  So, you, as a parent, must find a better approach than starting on the wrong foot and in the negative. When you are ready to talk, your teen may not be. And, if something bad has happened, calm down, cool down and  put some thought and prayer into how you need to approach this subject. Teens wreck cars. They forget about others and what they were supposed to do. All of that irritates parents. Remember, your teen isn’t at the maturity level that you are.

Second, listen. That’s hard for some of us parents and the failure to listen leads to the breakdown of communication and relationships. When you say, “We need to talk,” they understand this as, you are going to do all the talking and they are going to do all the listening. You may have to lead with some questions. Try to understand why they did what they did. Do your best not to explode. Listen. “What would have been a better way of doing that?” and then let your teen answer that. “I dunno” or “nothing,” can be the extent of some teens communication with their parents. We know they can talk. They can text and talk to friends all day long, but when it comes to you, “I dunno,” and “nothing,” is all you get. I remember asking one of my kids, “What happened at school today?” They said, “nothing.” My reply was, “Nothing. You were there all day and nothing happened? Wow. I’m going to school with you tomorrow to see what nothing looks like.” That got them talking. They sure didn’t want that to happen.

Listening is hard because as parents we want to tell. But one of the huge disconnects in families is that teens feel like their parents do not understand them. The way to bridge that is by talking. Not just when they are in trouble, but all the time. Build that relationship. Ask them about Sunday sermons. Ask them where their weak points are in the Bible. The more you talk with them in the good moments, the easier it will be in the tougher moments.

Third, be willing to be unpopular. That’s hard. Your teen may vent. He may declare that you are unfair. But be that way. The alternative is to let the teen do whatever he wants so he will like you. But in the end, he still won’t like you. He needs guidance, boundaries, rules and accountability. You need to allow your teen to disagree, but it must be respectful. There’s no need for shouting, slamming doors or getting violent. There is a bigger picture. How will that person act when he is 30 years old and his boss makes him upset? How will he act when he is 40 and something at church upsets him? Learning to disagree without becoming disagreeable is a huge step in maturity.

Fourth, always stand with God. Do not apologize for the way God says things. Do not point out the imperfections of others. Our God is good. Our God is powerful. Our God deserves our honor and our heart. Building personal faith is important. There is a transition from going to church with mom and dad and wanting to go because the Lord is awesome. Those who do not have a strong faith, nor their own faith, will crash when they go away to college. Four years later, a degree in hand, and no God in their heart, off they go to chase the idols of the world. You don’t want that. So, as Deuteronomy six shows us, everywhere and everyday God becomes a part of your conversation, life and choices. Prayers, devotions and a commitment to worship services are just as regular as the sunshine. At a young age, have your child serving right along side of you.

I know several, several powerful, talented and GODLY teens. They are leaders. They engage in worship and serving where they can. They became this way because of what happened in their homes. You, as a parent, can do the same. It takes you to do it. Don’t kick the can down the road. Don’t push this off on the church or the teen devos.

God bless our parents. It’s tough. Buckle your seat belt. Put up your tray table. Hold on. But you can do it. There was a time in my life when we had four teens at the same time. What were we thinking. I used to tell people that I was going to write a book about that. The title was to be: I have four teens. The subtitle was, “And therapy is helping me.” That’s funny. The truth is, “God is helping me.” He did and He will.

Your greatest work is your children. Pray. Get advice. Don’t give up.

Those of us that are empty nesters, don’t sigh nor talk about “those parents,” or “those kids.” Get to know the teens in your congregation. Have them over. Connect. It’ll help you and you’ll help them. We are all in this together.

Roger

15

Jump Start # 3026

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3026

John 6:15 “Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

Our verse follows the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. This is the only miracle, aside from the events at Calvary and His resurrection, that is found in all four Gospels. His birth is not. The walking on water is not. The raising of Lazarus is not. It’s the feeding of the 5,000.

The crowds were now filled in their bellies and their eyes were witnessing a prophet among them. They wanted to honor Jesus and make Him a king. He was like a modern Moses. Moses fed the people and Moses delivered the people from the oppressive Egyptians. Jesus has now fed the people. Surely, now, He will deliver them from oppressive Rome. They came to take Him by force and make Him king. Once that was done, it would be on to Jerusalem to cleanse it from Romans and then on to Rome itself.

But this passage reminds us of several important Biblical lessons:

First, some people who think they know Jesus, really misunderstand Him. This crowd did. Jesus would be a king, but not this way. Satan offered it to Him if He would only bow down before him. But that wasn’t the way. He would be a king, but it would be God’s way, not theirs. It would come after a cross and a resurrection. He would sit down at the right hand of God.

Sadly, some who misunderstand Jesus the most, are those who stand behind pulpits on Sundays and write books about Jesus. They misunderstand His mission. They misunderstand who He was. Some try to get us to believe that Jesus would accept sinful practices. They mold and reshape Jesus to fit their agendas. Rather than accepting Him as God reveals Him to us, they want to manufacture a Jesus that supports and sustains what they want to do. Take Him by force and make Him, are the methods still used by some today.

Second, forcing someone to do something they don’t want to usually doesn’t go well. Parents know this when it’s bedtime for the little ones. They’ll try every trick to stay up later. Putting someone in the eldership who does not want to be there usually is a disaster. Forcing Jesus to be a king wasn’t the way to do it. Jesus never used that method on us. He doesn’t force you to believe. He doesn’t force you to obey. He wants you to choose.

Third, Jesus simply left. There are times when that is the best solution to problems. Just get out of there. He didn’t try to change their minds. He didn’t try to calm them down. He didn’t try to reason with them. He didn’t offer ideas why their way wouldn’t work. No, He just left. There are times when a person must just get up and leave. Later, a discussion can take place. Later, reasons can be given. How important this is for our times. Social media has become an electronic bullhorn used by bullies to get what they want. There are those who are not interested in discussing things. They want to tell you why you are wrong, and that’s it. And, when the ears can’t hear, because the heart is closed, there comes a time to simply leave. Jesus withdrew Himself. We can save ourselves a lot of trouble if we followed Jesus with this.

Fourth, Israel’s history of kings has not been a good story. It was during the days of Samuel that Israel wanted a king like all the nations around them. Visible. Leading troops into battle. Figurehead. And, they got what all the nations already had and that was deceiving, corrupt, immoral kings who sold the nation away. There were a few bright spots here and there, but most of them were not. Most were stains on the pages of history. Wanting a king was not a good thing for Israel. And, what they missed most of all was that they needed a Savior more than they needed a king. They needed to rid their lives of sin more than purging the streets of Romans. Their problem wasn’t Rome. Their problem was sin.

So many want a friend in Jesus. I want someone who will accept me as I am and allow me to do what I want. Friends may do that, but Jesus won’t. Others, want Jesus to be there to pull them out of the messes they have created. Get my feet back on solid ground and then I won’t need Jesus anymore. At least, not until the next pickle arises. Some want the Messiah, but not the Lord. Some want the parables of Jesus, but not the commands of Jesus.

You can try to force Jesus to be what you want, but it won’t work. You can’t change Jesus. You can’t make Jesus do what He was not supposed to do. Jesus came to seek and save what was lost. That’s His purpose. That’s His mission.

Roger