Jump Start # 3732

  Proverbs 24:32 “When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked and received instruction.”

In our verse today, the wise man passed by the field of a lazy person. The fields and vineyard was overgrown with weeds. A stone wall was toppled over. It probably looked abandoned, but it wasn’t. It belonged to someone who was lazy. Having seen that, the wise man reflected. He learned some things. Without diligence, things go bad. This is true of our health, our finances, our homes, and our spiritual life. I reflected upon it and received instruction.

This day marks a couple of significant memorials for me personally. It was thirty years ago today that my mom passed away. So much has happened in the world and in the family in that time. I was living in Indiana back then. Since then, I spent a decade in Kansas City and now have been back in Indiana for almost two decades. I still miss her. I don’t know if the Lord shares things that we say to Him with those who are with Him. I asked the Lord to tell my mom that I’m doing well and I miss her.

The other significant event happened fifteen years ago. That is when we first introduced these Jump Starts. It was a little devotional written to our church family that I anticipated lasting only thirty days. Now, fifteen years later and over 3700 articles, here we are still writing away. I never thought that this would be such a big part of what I do. I have met so many of our readers and have been encouraged by your kindness. I don’t envision myself as a writer. I realize that I often break the rules of grammar and I write like I talk and talk like I write. Jump Starts take about 30 minutes of my morning routine. I write as thoughts come to my mind and then put it to bed and move on to other pressing matters.

I am extremely grateful to a congregation that allows me to do this. There are people behind the scenes doing things that I do not understand that makes all of this possible. There is a cost involved that this congregation happily supports so that you can receive these every morning.

In the course of these 3700+ Jump Starts, there have been some that I really liked. There have been a few that have been very hard to write. Some, I remember, with tears literally rolling down my cheeks as I typed away. Some were so-so. Some were not very good at all. Writing every day takes both time and ideas. Some days it is every easy. Some days it is very hard. Some days it seems the well is dry and nothing worthwhile comes to my mind. I’ve borrowed ideas from my sermons and classes and some of the Jump Starts have become of sermons.

I want to share some thoughts with you about this journey.

First, don’t be afraid to try something you have never done before. I’ve written articles and edited church bulletins for a long time. But that’s not the same as writing every day. It is helpful when a congregation has enough trust in their preacher to encourage him to sail that little boat past the horizon. It’s hard to know what talent one has until he tries. I didn’t know if this would catch on or be a big flop. The fear of failure keeps most boats tied up at the dock. Fifteen years ago, not many were writing blogs. Now, lots of my fellow preachers are doing this. I’m glad. I do not have a corner on the market. Each one seems to bring a unique perspective and are helpful for those that want to learn.

Second, define and understand a purpose of doing things. The goal behind Jump Starts is just that. It is intended to help Jump Start your day by thinking about the Lord, His word and give you some thoughts that are encouraging. It was never intended to be a deep dive into the explanation of passages. It is not a replacement for word studies or commentaries. It will not and cannot answer all the questions that cross our minds and plague our times. I also understood that no one would be converted by reading a Jump Start. If it could be a bridge for more conversations and open Bible studies, then that was good. Never was this an instrument to promote me. The past few years, Jump Starts have seen more like a diary of my life. I’ve talked about going to concerts, my travels, my experiences. But, I hope you could see that I was using those events as stepping stones to talk about something spiritual.

A funny story happened in the early years of Jump Start. Someone forwarded one of the Jump Starts to me, not knowing that I was the author. He thought I ought to read this and that I would enjoy getting on the mail list. I must admit, at first, I thought about emailing this person back and proclaiming that whoever is writing these things is AMAZING. Brilliant writing. Best we’ve seen in generations. But, I didn’t. To his embarrassment, I confessed that I was the person behind these.

Third, one day, Jump Starts will end. I do not expect that they will live on much past my time here. I hope it has helped God’s people in this generation. There was a time, not too long ago, when our fellowship abounded in what many call “brotherhood papers.” I am an avid collector of those things. There was a wealth of good things taught through that medium. Many of us learned so much that way. The day of the papers has gone. And, in many ways, silence fills the air. I’m glad that Jump Starts is something that has crossed into your homes and your heart. My prayer is that it has helped you in some way.

As technology changes, there will be other ways of teaching God’s word in the future. I hope the men of God at that point will do what they can to help further the kingdom of God.

I saw…I reflected…I learned.

Thank you. What a journey it has been thus far.

Roger