SEND ME

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.

1.5 SEND ME

READ: Nehemiah 2:1-20

“And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:5 ESV

Every day, Nehemiah stood in the presence of the king. He was close, faithful, and always there to serve his king. But the plight of his people weighed on him. Nehemiah saw the world in need but did not merely see it. He decided to do something about it.

The land of his fathers was in chaos. The place of his people. There was a tremendous need, and it gripped his heart. The cupbearer was in a position to make such a big demand of a king. He was a servant. He was the king's property. But the king asked. Nehemiah’s faithfulness had created an opportunity for authenticity. When the moment came, Nehemiah didn’t balk. He acted.

Nehemiah took his awareness of the world’s need to one who could do something about it. And, more importantly, he had a willingness to participate in the solution. Nehemiah wasn’t trying to solve someone else’s problems by proxy or secondhand. He was willing to go.

What did Nehemiah know about building walls, leading people, or cross-country travel? Nothing. He was a cupbearer. Like many others before and so many after, Nehemiah’s willingness to faithfully attend to the need in front of him every day positioned him to do what was next.

Our world is bombarded by voices screaming about what they believe the world needs. It’s become so ubiquitous that it has become background noise. The world doesn’t need another voice pointing fingers at secondhand problems. The world needs men who are willing to say, “Send me.”

CHALLENGE: When you see a problem today, don’t just point it out to someone else. Become part of the solution.

GO TO SERVE

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.

1.4 GO TO SERVE

READ: 1 Samuel 17:1-58

“And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:32  ESV

David’s father asked him to take his brothers' lunch. But what the world needed was more than someone delivering bread and cheese. Another confrontation waited. Another opportunity.

The story of David and Goliath is the pivotal story of David’s life. It propelled him into prominence. The spotlight found David forever after. But he did not go seeking it. David went to serve his father.

David shined when he served. His heart for working on behalf of those around him caused people to love him. Sometimes serving looked like hanging out with the sheep, sometimes it meant facing giants. But it was David’s time with the sheep that prepared him for the encounter with Goliath.

The world needs men who are willing to serve in obscurity with a selfless heart. The time with the sheep when no one is looking is a proving ground for the valley where everyone watches. David stepped into the conflict with faith. God had proven himself faithful. The arrogant giant proclaiming himself an enemy of God was another opportunity.

David served his father first. He served his family. He did what was asked and what was required. It created in him the kind of willing heart that made him capable of faithfully confronting the giant.

You are surrounded by giants. They are everywhere. But we must be willing to walk through seasons of preparation in order to experience moments of deliverance. Serving for the sake of serving is often thankless and seemingly overlooked. God sees. God knows. What you do is not forgotten. It is practice for the giants the world needs you to slay.

CHALLENGE: Today, you will encounter an opportunity to do something that seems thankless and insignificant. Do it with an eager heart.

STAY CALM

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.

1.3 STAY CALM

READ: Exodus 14:1-31

“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14 NLT

Imagine escaping slavery after generations. Suddenly the people of Israel experienced incredible freedom! Only, it seemed short-lived. As they camped at the edge of the sea, the armies of their oppressors bore down on them.

The weight of the terror of it must have been horrible. There stood multitudes of men facing the reality of a situation they knew they were powerless to stop. Their wives, children, families and friends were depending on them.

In that moment what the world needed wasn’t for the men of Israel to pick up swords they didn’t have and charge into the fray against the Egyptians. What the world needed was for the men of Israel to calm their fears. They had to choose trust in God over the reality of what they saw before them.

Sometimes your world will need you to step into danger. There will be moments to be bold, decisive, and aggressive. There will also be moments when you must simply trust God. Always be ready to act. Also, be ready to trust. Stay calm.

The headlines are full of men who lose their cool. You’re not going to be one of them. When trouble comes, you know you were made for it. You’re ready to embrace it. You’re calm because you know God himself will fight for you.

CHALLENGE: It’s going to happen. Something is going to surprise you today. It may push all the right buttons. When it comes, don’t lose your cool. Don’t panic. Stay calm. Even if it’s for just 30 seconds at a time.

EMBRACE IT

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.

1.2 EMBRACE IT

READ: Genesis 37:18-36

“But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Genesis 45:7 NIV

Joseph had every reason to play the victim card. He was a real victim. His own brothers had sold him out, literally. 

Even in Egyptian slavery, Joseph experienced betrayal, hardship, and loss. But Joseph would not be deterred. Joseph saw the potential on the other side of every difficulty.

Joseph embraced hardship and experienced God's incredible goodness. Ultimately, Joseph’s willingness to embrace the moment provided the opportunity to make a profound difference.

When disaster struck, Joseph didn’t celebrate the misfortune of his captors. He didn’t stomp on the hopes of those who had betrayed, enslaved, and imprisoned him. Joseph once again embraced the need in front of him. Joseph looked for a way to help the world around him. Not only did it save a nation, it saved his family. Joseph didn’t look for a way to get back at them, he sought the chance to give himself to an incredible need.

You can spend your life looking for retribution or looking for contribution. A man the world needs will bear the scars of hurt and betrayal. No one gets out of this world alive. But you were made for it. Don’t go looking for it, but when hardship comes, don’t let it rob you of the opportunity to be a man the world needs. Your friends, family, and neighbors are depending on you.

CHALLENGE: Every day is met with some kind of hardship. Don’t ignore it today. Look for the opportunity hiding there. How can you be the man the world needs in this situation?

MADE FOR IT

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.

1.1 MADE FOR IT

READ: Genesis 1:1-31

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 ESV

God had worked a masterpiece. A world teeming with life and untapped potential. Every syllable of God’s creative work set the stage. The blank canvas of possibility was ready.

The world was amazing. It was good. It was new and raw and wild. And it was in need. All that was made was waiting. But for what? The world was lacking one thing. God’s amazing creation needed a man. So God made Adam and Eve and called it good. And God gave man stewardship over His creation. God trusted the first man with His creation.

God still trusts men with His creation. You are a man God trusts with His creation. You are a man God trusts with His world.

The first mandate from heaven was to be fruitful and multiply. Because the Garden of Eden wasn’t a well-manicured masterpiece of landscaping. It was a landscape of potential, opportunity, and hope.

God still places men where hope is needed. You have everything you need to be a man the world needs. You were created for it.

CHALLENGE: Today, when you encounter a need in your everyday world. Meet it. You may be the only one who can.

Be a Man the World Needs: Introduction

The following is an excerpt from my new book “Be a Man the World Needs.” Available now on Amazon.
Order here: https://a.co/d/80U575e

Climb the Mountain

We were cutting a trail somewhere around 4,000 feet of elevation. Even at that height the air was thick with humidity as a tropical storm smothered the jungle like bush adorning the mountainside. The red clay stuck to our boots. Our gear grew heavier with every cascading drop. It was an adventure. Thankfully, we were on our way down the mountain.

What compelled a group of men to walk a mountain path through the jungle in the middle of the rain during hurricane season?

Men like adventure, but that wasn’t the real reason. We also like being invited to try difficult things. We like to test ourselves. Neither of those were the goal of our mountaintop trek.

So why did we go? Why were we climbing that particular mountain in that specific spot on that given day in June? Why? Because there was something on top of the mountain worth doing.

We didn’t go to see the sights even though we did see some remarkable things. The foliage of banana, plantain, and coffee trees dancing amidst a storm is pretty amazing. Below we glimpsed some of the geography and topography of the roads we had been traveling the previous days. They were laid out like lines on a map. It was a sight to behold. The sliver of blue breaking beyond the tropical front miles away peered like a promise of change through the sky. It was all incredible. It was all secondary. We had climbed the mountain to do something.

At the top of the mountain was a woman and her children. I couldn’t name any of them. I had never seen them before. I will never see them again except in the single solitary picture I took of their smiling faces after the work was done. The work is why we climbed the mountain.

What work?

My friends and I had climbed the mountain to make the lives of the lone family on the ridge of the mountain better. We had gone to do something very simple. We were building them a new cooking stove.

In a place where most houses are held together by mud and sticks, practically all the cooking happens around what most of us would describe as a camp fire. The physical implications on the health of the women and girls who tend these fires is disastrous over time. So we climbed a mountain to improve the quality of life for a woman and her family.

Why? Because that's what men were made for.

The World’s Need

There are two really dangerous ideas trying to claw their way to prominence in this world. They are the kind of ideas which always seem to resound across pop culture and the socially conscious. Both are dangerous nonsense.

The first is the notion we don’t really need men anymore. Except we all know that is nonsense.

The second dangerous idea is worse. It says that there aren’t any real men out there anymore. To put it bluntly—this is a lie puked straight from the pit of hell. There are millions of men out there. Men the world desperately needs. And there are millions of boys waiting for their turn at bat.

What the world doesn’t need is another clown beyond a keyboard putting down the real men who bust their butts everyday. They do it to keep our world from falling apart. To keep your world from falling apart. Real men don’t need the naysayers to twist the proverbial knife while he plays video games, eats his mom’s groceries, and enjoys free rent. What the world doesn’t need is more shaming of the elite echelon of actual men who show up everyday to make sure you have water to drink, roads to drive on, and groceries that show up at your local market.

What this world needs is men. Real men. A lot of them. I’m crazy enough to believe they are out there. They don’t need your permission. They don’t want your applause. They only want to do what they were put here to do.

This world needs men who live on purpose, for a purpose. Men who mean what they say, say what they mean, and aren’t afraid to call out the chumps who try to stay somewhere in the middle. The middle is where masculinity goes to die. You either man up or you bow down. You either step up or you stop altogether. I’ve met hundreds of men who are laying down their lives every day to get it right.

The Mission

The original mandate for men has not changed. God spoke to Adam in the Garden and said “be fruitful and multiply”. Not because the Garden was a paradise of manicured orchards waiting to be plucked, but because it was a frontier of opportunity.

Adam was to work. He was to strive. He was designed by God to build, grow, and give. It is the essence of the heart of every man. That’s what this book is fundamentally about. Getting back to the modus operandi of what it means to be a man.

You are the man the world needs. You are. Believe it. You may not be living like it yet, but you’ll get there. You have to. No one else can get there for you. It is 100% on you. There are no shortcuts. The easy road is a dead end. But life is hard. So pick your hard. Or it will run you over. Ready or not, here it comes.

You were designed to make things better. Your strength is sorely needed in this world. And that’s putting it lightly. God put something inside you. Allow it to mature into the divinely inspired masculinity available to you. Until you do, there will be something absent in your world.

If you don’t live up to what God wants for you, your family will never know what it’s like to have a real man in their life. Your daughters will date deadbeats damned to repeat the pattern. Your sons will age into weak boys with beards and bank accounts. And your wife will be lonely—living in a mission half fulfilled.

Believe this. There is an enemy that hates you. He hates everything you are. What are you?

You are the original blueprint for what God wanted in this world. You are a man. You weren’t a backup plan. You were the plan.

Yes, we are men the world needs. We all have the potential to be. But we also have the potential to miss the mark big time. Adam did. So do we. But we don’t have to live in it.

Your enemy would have you believe you aren’t good enough for what God wants in your life. Your enemy is on a mission too. His aim is to steal the blueprint for what God wants to build through your life. He wants to kill the dream God put inside the heart of every man. The bottom line is that your enemy wants to destroy you and everything you stand for. If you take a look at our world, it’s hard to say the enemy isn’t winning. The enemy won’t win. He can’t win.

What the world needs right now are men who will step into their place in the fight. Men who will dare to give what it takes, grow into their strength, and build a better world around them. I think you’re a man like that. Get ready for the fight of your life.

The Need

There’s a tremendous difference between what I need and what I want. Most days I want a sixteen ounce steak, loaded mashed potatoes, and a gallon of Dr. Pepper. I learned long ago that eating like that regularly doesn’t produce a version of myself I like very much. And, giving in to what I want doesn’t shape me into the kind of man the people around me need. What I really need is not what I think I want much of the time.

What I actually want is for the people I love the most to know they can rely on me for the long haul. My life goal is faithfulness. That is my dream. To breathe my last breath at a ripe old age knowing I was faithful to my wife, my children, my family and friends–and the people who depend on me.

This is not a book about what you want. This was written to be a book about what the world needs. The truth is–what the world needs is you! Our world needs men like you to stand up, step up, and man up. We have a role to play. One that is uniquely ours. No one else will do it because no one else can. It belongs to you.

Ironically, whether you’ve admitted it yet or not, what you actually need is to embrace how much the world needs you. When you do you will step into your place in the big picture. You’ll find the spot where your purpose and your God-given passion sync up. It’s the one-two-combination that knocks the enemy on his butt. Nothing rattles hell more than a son of God walking in his God-given purpose.

You’re not a punk. And you’re not a sissy. You are a champion of the kingdom of God. His beloved son. Your life carries inherent dignity, value, and purpose on a scale you may have never attempted to consider. Consider it.

The words in these pages aren’t meant to be another feckless shot at tearing down men. We are sick of the mud-slinging in our world. We’re all tired of the emotional eunuchs parading their image of imposed masculinity on our world. I’m not here to pile it on. I wrote this book because I believe it’s time to rally the charge. The only way to stem the tide of limp-hearted cowards telling you what kind of man you’re supposed to be is for you to live it so loud they can’t help but shy away.

We can’t get there by tip-toeing through the issues. We’re going to take them head on. What’s going to follow is a set of twelve principles. This is designed so you can tackle one per week, per month, or whatever rhythm works. Each entry is short on purpose. I went small on the word count because I’m hoping it will give you the space to go big on reflection. Take the time to think them through. Get around a fire with some dudes and talk them out. At the least, create a text group and challenge one another.

You’re a smart guy. So, what you’ll notice pretty fast is that some of the maxims presented in this book seem at odds with each other while others seem repetitive. That’s not by accident. Some of them will cause tension. That’s by design. Step into the tension. Embrace difficulty. The easy path is a dead end. Your people need life. When you walk the hard road you’re not being reckless—you’re being engaged. You’re being honest. You’re taking the world as it actually is and you’re taking it head on. You’re being a man the world needs. Bravo.

Starting Off 2024: Living Every Day with Jesus

As we step into 2024, it's an opportune time to reflect on how we can live each day with Jesus at the center of our lives. Jesus isn't a Sunday thing. Weave His teachings into your everyday moments. Embrace Jesus everyday in the coming year.

Buy "Everyday Jesus" today!

Embrace God's Love

It's vital to recognize and deeply understand how much God loves us. This isn't just a surface-level acknowledgment; it's about letting this truth sink deep into our hearts. When we truly grasp the depth of God's love, our perspective on life shifts. We start seeing ourselves and others through a lens of grace and compassion, much like Jesus did.

Produce Good Fruit

Living with Jesus means our lives should bear the fruits of the Spirit. What does this look like in practice? It's choosing actions and habits that reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These aren't just lofty ideals; they're practical guides for daily living. Ask yourself: How can my actions today add value to my life and those around me? Whether it's a kind word, a patient response, or an act of kindness, let your actions be a testament to these fruits.

Practice Forbearance

This one can be tough, especially in a world where everyone seems to have a strong opinion about everything. Practicing forbearance means showing tolerance and restraint, particularly in challenging interactions. It’s choosing to act out of love, even when your instincts push you towards anger or frustration. Stand firm in your beliefs while also demonstrating patience for others' viewpoints.

Show Genuine Love

At the heart of Jesus' teachings is love – a genuine, selfless, and sacrificial love. This year, let's focus on giving more than receiving. Put others' needs before our own, just as Jesus did. Love in the way of Jesus isn't about grand gestures; it's found in the everyday moments – listening when someone needs to talk, helping without being asked, or simply being present. This kind of love can be challenging, as it often requires sacrifice on our part, but it's incredibly fulfilling and transformative.

Seek Faithfulness in Everyday Opportunities

Finally, be mindful of how you're using the opportunities God gives you daily. Faithfulness isn't just about the big decisions; it's found in the small choices we make every day. Are we choosing what’s right, even when it’s hard? Are we aligning our actions with God's will? This could mean choosing honesty over convenience, or kindness over indifference. It's in these everyday decisions that our faithfulness is truly tested and proven.

Living every day with Jesus is a journey, not a destination. It’s about taking small, consistent steps towards embodying His teachings. As we embrace 2024, let's hold these principles close to our hearts. Let’s choose to live in a way that not only enriches our lives but also positively impacts those around us. Remember, it’s not about perfection, but about progress and persistence in walking with Jesus.

May this year be one of growth, love, and faithfulness for you. Happy New Year, and here's to living every day with Jesus in 2024!

WRONG TURNS

DIRECTIONS

“Yeah, can I be in your TV show?” That was the phone call my brother decided to make one day. No kidding. He picked up the phone and cold-called a talent agency in North Carolina after learning they were in charge of casting for his favorite show.

In the days before social media, video meetings, and YouTube, we had to learn about stuff through an ancient device called a telephone. One day Brian decided he would reach out and see what might happen.

When my brother called the talent agency, I’m not sure what he expected, but he was surprised by the response. The agency told him to send them a picture. Which makes sense. They were in charge of finding people to be in a show about a lot of attractive teenagers. They didn’t want someone like me showing up on set someday. If you had chipped teeth from too many soccer balls to the face and a nose you could see coming around the corner, you probably weren’t getting in. But well, if you looked like my brother, you were in. He got in.

After spending his spring break hanging out on set filming, he returned home full of big dreams. He finished the semester at the university, dropped out of school, and packed up his stuff to move to the east coast.

The day he left, we loaded all his stuff into a couple of cars and hit the road. Man, that was a long day. Back then, we didn’t have the voice of a little robot Irish lady in our iPhone telling us what turns to take. So, we used an ancient device called a map.

We drove all day. We drove all night. We drove through the Smokey Mountains and just kept driving. We stopped too long for lunch. We took in too many sights on the way. We didn’t get in much of a hurry. Finally, it was so late that we realized it was time to stop and sleep.

Back then, when you were on a road trip, you couldn’t find little private rooms or old homes someone had decided to rent out through an app on the internet. You had to stay in these ancient accommodations called hotels. The upside is that they were everywhere. So we decided to stop at one. It was full. We stopped at another hotel. It was full. So was the next one. And the next one. Apparently, they were all full. There was no room at the inn. It was starting to feel like a Christmas story.

We decided to put some more miles behind us and banked on finding one a little closer to our final stop. So we took off back down the road. My brother was driving while I watched a movie on a portable DVD player. I was trying to be good company by staying awake. Then it happened.

I looked up and saw a sign we weren’t supposed to see on our trip, “WELCOME TO VIRGINIA.” Oh boy. We had driven in the wrong direction.

WRONG TURNS

We have all found ourselves in a similar situation. We got lost. We took a wrong turn somewhere. We wound up where we never intended to go. It happens. I’ve learned that Jesus doesn’t get mad at us for missing the turn. Instead, he shows up to help us find our way.

People will get mad at you when you miss their expectations. You may get mad at yourself for missing a turn from time to time. Some people build their entire careers, or even their lives, around celebrating missed turns.

When you do miss it, there are consequences. Sometimes, there are logical consequences, like winding up somewhere you never meant to go. We hadn’t planned on going to Virginia. No one plans to be an addict, to suffer a devastating divorce, or find themselves crippled emotionally because of a lifetime of wrong turns.

That’s the danger of wrong turns. If we don’t start moving in the right direction, we’ll keep making wrong turns. They add up over time.

One of the movies I watched with my brother on our wayward road trip was literally called Wrong Turn. Ironic. It’s a terrible movie about crazy cannibal hillbillies–in Virginia. None of the hillbillies I know are cannibals. And none of them live in Virginia. But the premise is pretty on point as metaphors go: wrong turns can lead to bad things.

Taking a wrong turn on a road trip can land you in the middle of some unexpected surroundings, but so will taking a wrong turn with your life. You’ll eventually find yourself in unfamiliar territory. It’s important for us to realize this isn’t just something that happens on the outside. I’m not just talking about rooms and environments here.

When you make wrong turns a habit, you eventually wind up in a place you never wanted to be. You become a stranger to yourself. You wake up one day wondering why you think the way you do. And you may not even like the person looking back in your mirror.

This is another reason why everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him. When you reach a fork in the road, you learn to take the right direction. It starts by asking Jesus which way he would go.

WWJD

In high school it was trendy to run around wearing bracelets with “What would Jesus do?” written on them. It was like a low-tech Fitbit for your soul. Instead of being there to remind you how many steps you’d taken, it was supposed to remind you to take the next step toward Jesus. We should all be trying to figure out what Jesus would do. Once you realize Jesus actually likes you and wants to be with you, it makes figuring out what he would do a little easier. 

The truth is simple, but it takes work. When figuring out what Jesus would do–we make it way too complicated. But Jesus told us how to figure it out. Jesus said things like follow my voice, serve others, love your neighbor, be holy, and love God.

When my brother and I were on our trip, we needed our map. Every turn mattered when it came to getting to our final destination. Most Christians I’ve known have been focused on talking a lot about our final destination. Awesome. I’m 100% a fan of Heaven and, equally, of trying to get as many people there as we can. Still, we should take care not to treat every moment and every decision like something that could hijack the end result. 

I think Jesus talked so much about following him because he wanted to show us the way. Yes, the final destination is a big deal. I like the part in the Bible about eternity with a God who deeply loves us and everyone’s tears getting wiped away. But life with Jesus is about way more than what happens when you die.

Wait a second?! There’s more than heaven? Yeah, I know. It’s crazy.

Jesus showed us the way. He wants us to follow him. “What would Jesus do?” becomes our guiding philosophy because we all need a guide. We all need to understand where we want to go. We all need to know how to get there. We all need to know how to make the next right choice.

We eventually got my brother to his new apartment on the coast. We spent a week helping him settle in and taking in a new city. It was a fun week. But the thing that has always stuck with me about that trip is the trip itself. It’s one of the only times in my adult life I’ve taken off across the country with nothing but a map. The map was the key to arriving at the right place.

Jesus' words to his friends were their map. When he said to them something like, “Go and make disciples in your city, and your country, and the whole world,” He wasn’t being generic. He was giving them specific directions. He was offering a route they could follow with their lives. And they did it.

The beautiful thing about life with Jesus is that it is life with Jesus. The end result sounds pretty awesome, but the road trip is pretty awesome, too. Because it is with Jesus.

When we take the trip with Jesus, we learn what Jesus wants. We can better answer what he would do. A lot of people are really good at looking like they follow Jesus. They say and appear to do all of the right things. But their heart is a mess. It’s full of wrong turns.

Jesus talked about people like this. He said, "They look like they’re doing it right, but their hearts are far from me.”

When we begin to spend everyday with Jesus, we’ll stop looking like we’re doing it right, and start to actually do it right. Because we won’t be concerned about appearances. We’ll stop caring what anyone thinks about our next turn. We’ll only have eyes and ears for one set of directions, “What would Jesus do?” As we do, we’ll stop following Jesus for the prize and start following Jesus with our heart.

Living with Jesus everyday means we call timeout on lip service. We give up on faking it till we make it. We trade in a life of appearing to follow Jesus for a life of actually following Jesus. The end result will be pretty awesome, but everyday with Jesus is pretty awesome, too.

HERE AND NOW

GOOD NEWS

One day, my son blurted out, “Daddy, I have some bad news.” I thought he would tell me something no parent wants to hear. Like, “I don’t love you anymore.” Or “I want to play golf.” 

I was like, “What is it, buddy?” He had this super serious look. “I left my library book at school.” Whew! I was so relieved! In his world, that was bad news.Thank God for the innocence of kids!

Last year, I had a friend look at my house because we were just about to put it up for sale. He asked, “Do you want the bad news or the really bad news?” No, I’m kidding. He didn’t say that! That would have been terrible. He said what we are all used to hearing in a conversation like that: “Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

Which do you like to hear first: the good news or the bad news? That’s a no-brainer, right? Who wants to listen to the good news first and leave on a sour note? If you’re someone who likes bad news first, well, I have bad news for you–you’re weird.

The truth is we live in a world full of bad news. Sometimes, our life is even split into two parts by bad news. Here are some examples from my own journey. There was life before my nephew died and life after. There was life before my brother’s cancer and life after. 

What bad news changed things for you? Maybe it was a lost loved one. Perhaps it was a terrible diagnosis. For some of you, it was finding out a loved one betrayed you. Bad news can shake us to our core. It is personal. It is tragic. And it is real. Terrible things happen all over the world every day. But it is not the end of the story. If you focus on it too much, it will consume you.

Bad news always boils down to one of three things. Something was stolen–like property or an opportunity. Something was killed–like a person, group, or dream. Something was destroyed–like a natural disaster. Or Johnny Depp’s acting career. When something is stolen, killed, or destroyed. It can be devastating. It can be a tragedy. But it’s not the end of the story.

Here’s some good news. It is the Good News. Everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him because Jesus changes everything.

In the bible, the stories about Jesus are kicked off by a guy named Matthew. He was a dude whose story begins as a scam artist and overall crook, but he became someone else. Matthew became a guy willing to die for Jesus. He went from being willing to rob his neighbors blind to being willing to lay down his very life. What changed? Matthew encountered the Good News: everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him.

Matthew had experienced a lot of bad, and then he met Jesus. Matthew discovered Jesus changes everything. He even staked his very life on this idea. He was killed because of it. But Matthew’s journey with Jesus started with something we’re all challenged with.

One day, Jesus was hanging out with his friends when he encountered Matthew in his everyday routine. There Matthew was, sitting at his workstation, his authorized tax spot where he robbed his neighbors. Jesus saw Matthew. Matthew saw Jesus. He had to know who Jesus was. By then, Jesus had a pretty big reputation. Jesus looked at Matthew and gave the best sermon in human history, “Follow me.” And Matthew did. He got up and followed.

In one move, Matthew swapped being with the ancient Roman IRS to being with Jesus. He traded being in the mob for being a disciple. He’d gone from hurting the people to helping the people. With two words, Jesus changed everything, “Follow me.” 

Jesus changes everything—being with Jesus changes everything. When you follow Jesus, he restores who you were meant to be.

FOR YOU

After Matthew decided to follow Jesus, the whole gang wound up at his house for dinner. Something tells me that’s not what Matthew had in mind, but it’s a great picture. Many people I’ve known who say they plan to follow Jesus seem a little surprised when they find out he wants to hang out at their house. Sometimes I think it’s because we’re a little bummed by what we think he’ll discover if we let him get close. Other times I think we realize letting Jesus on the inside of our lives means putting out some things that have commanded our affections. This isn’t because Jesus demands perfection but because his love is too big to share space with anything trying to keep us from following him.

When Jesus showed up for supper at Matthew’s house, many other tax collectors and people like us showed up to eat, too. They’re called sinners. Some cranky religious guys saw what was happening and started interrogating the other disciples. Their line of questioning was pretty simple, but it’s also essential for you and me to understand. They wanted to know one thing. Why does Jesus hang out with broken people?

Have you ever wondered why God did something? It’s an innocent enough question when we’re being curious. I’m not convinced the cranky religious guys in the story were curious. I think their question was accusing. It seems they were questioning Jesus’ motives, but Jesus’ reason was simple. He saw people who had spent a lot of days without him. Everyone needs to experience their first day with Jesus before they can live everyday with Jesus. 

Jesus was pretty pointed with the religious guys. In his own way he said, “I didn’t come for the people like you who think they have it all figured out. I came for the ones who know they need me.”

There will always be cranky religious people around who wonder why Jesus showed up to hang out with you. Ignore them. They think they have it all figured out. But here’s a warning. If you think you have it all figured out–you’re one of the cranky religious people.

People who assume they have it all figured out aren’t fun to be around. They look down on the rest of us because we know we’re still working it out. They like to make you feel like you’re irredeemable, but Jesus says – you are redeemed. The religious folks will treat you like a discarded sinner, but Jesus calls you son or daughter. Religious people will keep telling you that you are lost, while Jesus simply says, “follow me.” Religious folks will show up with a list of all their qualifying expectations. Jesus will invite you into a lifetime of figuring it out with him.

FOR NOW

When we start talking about all the cool things Jesus did, it gets easy to focus on the cross, the resurrection, and our beliefs about what happens after we die. I believe in all of those things but don’t miss this. Jesus speaks the words “follow me” over all of our lives because Jesus wants to be with you right now. You don’t have to wait until everything is a train wreck to experience the good news of Jesus. Yes! Jesus will redeem your worst day. But you can experience the goodness of following Jesus through life here and now! 

Matthew became convinced of that by what he saw. He saw things that were so incredible he had to write them down! If you saw something unexplainable happen, what would you do? You’d probably put it on your Instagram or make a video about it for social media. We can’t ignore that bad things happen all the time, but we all see pretty amazing stuff happen everyday, too. Don’t ignore the incredible things because you’re too busy worrying about the bad stuff. Don’t overlook everyday miracles because you’re worried about wading through the mud.

Please hear me. Bad stuff happens every day, too. Jesus never promised bad things would stop. He promised us a path through them with him. Wading through the hard stuff is different when you’re with Jesus. I’m convinced Matthew wrote his Gospel story because being with Jesus everyday taught him that following Jesus wasn’t about what happens after you die. Following Jesus is about a better way to live.

WE ALL FOLLOW

ALL FOLLOW

If you’re a parent, you have probably had a child try to follow you out of the house. One day, my son screamed, “But I want to go with you!” from the top of the stairs as I was headed out the front door. I could hear him crying as I got into my car. The discomfort of that moment tugs on a dad’s heart. If you are a parent, you already know what I’m talking about. You have lived it.

If you love someone, you want them to go with you. It’s that simple. We want to be with people we love. We almost always recognize this even if it seems impossible in some circumstances. So why is it so hard to nail this when following Jesus?

We all follow someone. I want to follow Jesus. I want to follow him in every aspect of my life. I’ve been trying to do that for a long time now. You’re reading this, so chances are pretty good you do, too. We want to follow Jesus. But we must acknowledge that the distance between our desire and behavior is often greater than we’d like. Why? Because stuff seems to get in the way. 

Think about that for a moment. You have this desire to follow Jesus with your life, but it conflicts with your everyday circumstances. In other words, some obstacles get in the way. Impediments that keep us from following Jesus well.

Following Jesus is the best way to live. Only following Jesus leads us somewhere good. Only following Jesus leads us to someone good. But everyone is following something or someone.

Many things that people follow are not good. Many people follow their stuff. They go in search of external satisfaction. This happens when we think something we can attain will satisfy us. They chase possessions, a bigger and better home, a faster car, and more toys. This leads to debt, the rat race, comparison, envy, and more. They chase pleasure, even though following pleasure can never satisfy them in the long run. Following stuff is about worshiping satisfaction.

Many other people are following feelings in search of internal justification. This happens when we think something we can do will make us better. So they chase status, notoriety, worth, and self-esteem. This often leads to becoming a workaholic, falling into depression, fixating on selfishness, or something equally destructive.

It’s a dogged pursuit of wanting to be “okay with ourselves,” “feel good about ourselves,” or whatever. Following feelings is about worshiping ourselves. These are dangerous ways to live!

It’s critical to consider. What are you following? Because we are all following something. 

The stakes here are huge because what you follow is what you worship. I don’t want to worship stuff. I don’t want to chase the bigger house or the nicer car. Not because those things are bad. There is nothing wrong with having nice stuff. I like my stuff. I’ll probably buy more stuff this week. But the stuff in our lives will control our lives if we allow it. 

I don’t want to worship feelings and accolades. I am going to keep working hard. I have three jobs right now. And I don’t care one bit about titles. I’d be okay if no one ever called me “Pastor Nate” again. No one has to call me “Professor King” at school. In fact, I ask them not to. Why? Because I’m not chasing accolades and feelings.

The danger of following our stuff and our feelings is that they make pretty terrible gods. Because ultimately, it means we are worshiping ourselves. What you follow is what you worship.

BLIND RELIGION

Jesus developed a bad reputation among the religious people of his day. But the everyday dudes like you and me liked him. Crowds gathered around Jesus. Tradesmen laid down their tools and followed him. Why? They learned firsthand what Jesus wants you and I to take to heart. Everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him.

The religious folks didn't like Jesus. In fact, they murdered him. He got a bad reputation because he “hung out with tax collectors and sinners”. He ignored the man-made religious rules and only honored God’s law. This especially ticked them off. Jesus made life with God simple. He penetrated the religious bureaucracy, calling its cosmic bluff with every offense. 

The religious guys followed their rules—not God. Well, guess who made the rules? They did. They worshiped themselves and played like they were worshiping God. When Jesus showed up, many of them started “following” him. They would cause trouble, ask questions, and ridicule his teaching in front of crowds.

So, one day, Jesus called them out in front of the crowd. Jesus spoke blatantly out of his authority as the Son of God, saying “These people give me lip service, but not their hearts. They are full of vanity, following human rules.”

What was Jesus saying? You can’t follow him with only words. Following Jesus has to be more than lip service. 

Being a follower of Jesus is about more than a prayer. People pray a token prayer and then act like there’s nothing else to it. That’s a really disastrous way to live. Jesus doesn’t want us to follow him by going through the motions. Jesus wants us to follow him with our life. I’m not talking about moralism. I’m not talking about pursuing a bunch of man-made ideas. I’m not talking about religious duty or rules. That’s the junk the people who hated Jesus focused on. You know, the ones who murdered him.

Jesus called those guys “blind guides.” He encouraged the crowds to leave behind their blind guides as they followed him. He told them, “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” What makes it extra spicy is that Jesus so often went out of his way to heal blind people. I’m probably wrong, but I’d like to think he turned and gave the religious guys a stare-down every time he healed another blind guy. 

If you’re following man-made stuff, you’re blind. You’re following the blind. You’re still living in the dark. You can’t follow Jesus and live in the dark. He’s the light of the world.

One night as a kid, I was running through a friend’s yard. We were playing tag in the dead of night. There was no moonlight that night. It was pitch black, and we didn’t have any lights. It was dangerous. In other words, it was the perfect little hillbilly game. I was sprinting and stepped off a sidewalk into blackness, right into a ditch four feet deep. I literally never saw it coming. I was so lucky I didn’t get hurt.

Plenty of people are blindly following the blind. They follow the outrage culture because it makes them feel good. They follow some politician because he says just the right things. They follow a singer or actor because they like their style. They follow some writer because he is so witty or intelligent. They may follow a buddy who has a few answers or some mom who makes cool videos on social media; but none of those are Jesus. It's the blind leading the blind.

I was a college pastor for over fifteen years. Each year, we had an event called Battle of the Sexes. We would divide into teams of guys versus girls and play a bunch of games. 

Looking back, I realized one of the games was so dangerous. We would blindfold the whole team, and one person would lay on a stretcher. Then, the blindfolded folks would carry the person on the stretcher. The one on the stretcher had to talk their team through an obstacle course as they raced the other team to the finish line. It was a blast, but it only worked because someone could see.

If we aren’t following Jesus, who are we following? We are following the blind. We are chasing the dark.

COME WITH ME

We need Jesus today. We need him everyday. We need him to rescue us from our own destructive behavior. We need him to help us reject our shame, shortcomings, and condemnation. We need him to help us focus our lives on something good and noble. We need him to help us love those around us. We need him to carry us forward in purpose. 

One of the best examples is Jesus’ interaction with a guy named Levi. Jesus saw Levi working one day and said, “Come along with me.” Levi had let work get in the way. He was collecting taxes. 

Sometimes, we are influenced from the outside in ways we don’t even realize. One day, we may look up and realize we’ve taken too many steps down a different path. How does this happen? It happens because of our everyday choices and decisions. 

Even good things can lead to a life that goes off the tracks. Obligations can become obstacles when we aren’t diligent. Diligent about what? About what God wants for you.

It’s not like it’s a big secret. Jesus wants you to follow him. He invites you to follow him. He compels each of us to follow him. 

Jesus takes our shame, so we will follow him shamelessly! His selfless sacrifice is the invitation into the remarkable—a life spent following the Son of God. Jesus lived and died to make a clear path for us to follow. He calls everyone to follow him. And we have to choose how to answer that call.

We see this in the story of Jesus calling Levi. Tax collectors were hated by their fellow Jews. They were seen as traitors. They were corrupt. They extorted their countrymen. Yet Jesus looked at Levi and said, “Come with me.” 

If you feel like you’ve gone too far or messed up too much, it’s never too late to follow Jesus. Why? Because He wants you to go with him. If you’ve committed your life to Christ, you want to go with him. 

Which is why it’s crazy and confusing when we realize we aren’t doing it very well. Mistakes are inevitable. Distractions are abundant. Perfection lies far outside our reach. But that’s okay. Not because we’re actively looking to self-destruct. It’s okay, because he never expected us to ace it all of the time. He loves it when I ask for his help.

Jesus wants us to follow him. Jesus wants us to hear his heartfelt words declaring, “Come with me”. Upon hearing these words, he hopes we will begin to take our first baby steps in an eternity of following Him.

When I’m playing in the yard with my kids, there’s a significant difference between how my eight-year-old son can follow me and my eighteen-month-old daughter. Ethan can run, play, ride bikes, and be adventurous. Anna tries to run, too. And she falls a lot. There are big differences in the way my kids follow me. One of the main differences is the size of the things that impede them. Ethan might shrug at the waist-high grass if we’re at the family farm. While to Anna, it would seem like an insurmountable green wall.

As we grow in Christ, the impediments change. The hurdles change. A person following Jesus closely for thirty years may not have the same struggles as someone who was just introduced to him. Following Jesus everyday leads to change, but not perfection. There will always be something trying to trip you up. There will always seem to be something else in the way. There’s always the next choice, the next fork in the road, the next potential disaster, or the next hurdle. 

Parents try hard to keep their kids from experiencing this, but God doesn’t seem to do it that way. Why? It’s because He knows what we get to learn. Hurdles aren’t disasters. They are part of the race. We’re supposed to embrace what we learn from the impediments. Take them in stride. 

Jesus didn’t consider the cross and the discomforts of the road as disqualifying experiences. They were hard, sure. But they made it worth it. What He offers each of us is the opportunity to walk in His love and grace. Not free of fault, but in spite of it. 

What happens as we follow Jesus? He takes us on the adventure of a lifetime. One that changes everything when we’re willing to go where he went and do what he did. 

WHAT NOW?

Followers of Jesus walked where he walked. When we follow Jesus closely, we walk where He walked. Our life takes us into contact with people needing God’s love. We have a better sense for where our next step should land. 

We used to ask, “What would Jesus do?” Everybody wore bracelets declaring “WWJD” when I was in high school. It is the question when it comes to following Jesus.

Decide to follow Jesus closely. There’s a good chance you’ll get tripped up along the way. When you do, you’ll bump into Him all over again. Walk where He walked. 

Followers of Jesus love whom Jesus loved. When we walk where Jesus walked, we find the opportunity to love those Jesus loved. Those who are rejected, broken, and in need. Not know-it-alls, but the down-and-outs. We all love a comeback story because we are a comeback story. Following him is our opportunity to add to the story. 

Follow Jesus closely. Walk where He walked. Love who He loved. Give what He gave.

Followers of Jesus give what Jesus gave. Faced with the ones Jesus loves, I am presented with an opportunity to give what He gave—myself. All of us have to choose this. It might mean we give our time, our resources, our attention, or any number of things. Mostly, it means we give what we can. 

This is the kind of life Jesus has invited us into: one that follows closely. Loving who He loved. Giving what He gave. When I’m getting it right, I have a better sense of where my next step should land. If I have let distance creep in, it might be harder to understand how He wants me to take the next corner.

When you walk where He walked, you’ll always find yourself moving in the right direction. Your life goes in new directions. When you love who He loved, you’ll always find yourself surrounded by people who need Jesus. Your life has a new mission. When you give what He gave, you’ll never stop living from the abundance of God’s big plan for life. What could be better than that?

WITH US

EVERYDAY

Roger looked across the table at me with a contemplative look, almost as if he was trying to remember if he'd left his oven on at home. I could tell my promise was still bouncing around in his mind, but I was hoping it would take root in his heart.

“Roger, I’ve met so many young men and women like you over the years.” I began. “People God loves who don’t know what to do about it. They think all this ‘Jesus stuff’ is really good on Sunday; but don’t let it affect the rest of their week.” We all need to learn and remember what Roger needed to grasp.

Jesus is an Everyday Jesus. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. And it is not limited to one day of the week when you wear nice clothes, go sing some Christian version of karaoke, and listen to a big personality give a faith-based Ted Talk.

God’s plan for your life is so much bigger than planned worship services in air-conditioned buildings. It’s more important than our organizations, agendas, and issues. Jesus is about the business of extending invitations. He offers an invitation to a life that is rich in love, purpose, forgiveness, and so much more.

The invitation Jesus extended to us was not a one-time thing. It’s an everyday opportunity. And we need it.

Jesus isn’t some cosmic party pooper. He's not the guy who'll take away your ice cream because there’s too much sugar. Jesus isn’t trying to squeeze all the fun out of our lives. He isn’t trying to turn us into prudish zombies. He offers a way to live that is fulfilling in purpose, unique in application, and full of freedom across the board.

Jesus wants you in his kingdom. To do that, he wants into your life. He wants to be with you, not just on the highlight reel days but also on those “I spilled coffee on my shirt” days. Because, let's face it, those happen a lot more than we'd like to admit.

WITH US

In the Bible story, an angel appeared to Mary—probably giving her the biggest shock of her life—to let her know she’d won the cosmic genetic lottery. She was going to be a mom. The mother of the Son of God. 

The angel gave a directive. He said that the baby would be called “Emmanuel,” but this isn’t a book about Everyday Emmanuel. Or is it? The directive the angel was offering wasn’t about names. It was about more than that. Emmanuel means “God with us”.

God had taken the form of a baby to come to those he loved so much. Jesus is Emmanuel. Jesus is God with us.

He wants to be with us. Everyday. He wants to be with you. Everyday. Jesus wants to be with you in the grocery store, but probably not because he wants to point out that those cookies you’re eyeballing aren’t on your diet. He wants to be there helping you in the boardroom. He’s probably chuckling when you think your muted Zoom call hides your pajama bottoms. He hopes you’ll take him with you on the subway or the next time you catch an Uber. Jesus wants to be with you at home, work, and play. He wants to be with you. Why? Because Jesus is an Everyday Jesus.

How? Well, that’s what this book is really about. But why would Jesus want such a prominent role in our lives? Why would Jesus want to hang out with us so much? Is it because he likes our style? I don’t think so. Perhaps he’s a big fan of human hobbies? No. That’s not it. It's because of how much we mean to Him. Why should Jesus be so important to us? Because of how important we are to Him. He loves you so much. He values you. He treasures you.

ONE

Every person who has experienced the incredible grace of God flood their life knows what it’s like to be valued. A first-century historian named Luke wrote down many of the stories Jesus told. Several of them highlight the importance placed on you when you were far from God. They serve as an incredible reminder of why he went through all that he did. Because you were valued. You are valued.

Luke also captured the idea that angels celebrate the moment someone decides to live everyday with Jesus. It is a celebration like none other. And if you have become a follower of Christ, there are still echoes of rejoicing reverberating through the halls of eternity.

One of my favorite things to learn about someone who shares my faith is how they came to it. The stories are as different and varied as the people I meet and ask. I’ve met people who were compelled to find God after they reached their life’s biggest dream, and it came up empty. I’ve known others who watched all they had ever loved go down the drain because of their reckless choices—and at rock bottom, they looked up to see Jesus had been searching for just such an opportunity to show them his love.

Jesus is always looking for the next one who will accept His love. Jesus is always waiting and ready for someone willing to turn their life around. Only when we step into the loving relationship God wants for us do we begin to live out the potential always there waiting. 

It’s not instant. It’s a start. The party the angels throw is about all of the good things that will come from what is taking place when a lost son or daughter comes home to our Good Father.

TOUCHDOWN

I grew up in church and was no stranger to Jesus as a kid. But one week before my twelfth birthday, I accepted Jesus’s invitation to be part of my life everyday. It happened at the end of a gathering my community had thrown on our local high school football field.

Now, I’ve never played a single down of football in my life. I was younger and smaller than everyone growing up. But Jesus said Heaven has a party when someone decides to spend everyday with Jesus. On a Tuesday night in a small town endzone, I knelt and prayed. Heaven rejoiced! It’s the closest thing I’ve ever come to a touchdown.

Everyone who has experienced the love of Christ in their life has a moment in their story just like mine. A moment when Heaven gasped in excitement and celebrated in full. But not everyday feels like a party, even with Jesus.

In the more than thirty years since that day, I’ve lived through all of the worst days of my life. Heartache, pain, loss, sin, destructive habits, reckless choices, and a litany of bad things that chose me. None of them felt like a party.

If you’ve lived through hard things, you probably know the feeling. It’s the tension between swinging for the home run and striking out, like running out of gas when you’re on your way to the most important appointment of the day.

On days like those, it’s easy for me to be my biggest critic. But I need to remember my value. It’s vital to remember who values me.

You are loved. You are wanted. You are cherished. You were grafted into Heaven’s family by Jesus himself. Who you are is summed up by whose you are—and you’re more than enough. 

On those days when it doesn’t seem so, or when something says otherwise, the voice that’s telling you you’re loved, you’re forgiven, you’re a Child of God can be hard to hear. Still your heart and your soul. Turn off the cell phone. Go for a short drive. Maybe just take a walk.

When everything gets quiet, remember this phrase: “I am celebrated. I am loved. I am His.” Why? Because your life, your soul, and your purpose carry value before God. Jesus wants you to spend everyday with him.

Everyday Jesus (Introduction)

The following is the introduction to my new book Everyday Jesus which releases November 7. Click here to buy Everyday Jesus today.

Everyday jesus (preview)

“I need help,” the young soldier told me with tears in his eyes. “Can you help me?” The tears continued to roll down his face as we stood in the church lobby, with hundreds of people streaming past us on their way to lunch. 

The brilliant, capable young man stood before me in anguish. Who could say no to someone in such turmoil? 

“I can help you,” I told him.

I prayed for him right where we stood. We exchanged phone numbers, and I promised to meet up with him later that week. When Friday morning rolled around, we were sitting across from each other downtown in an old train car transformed into a cafe.

Roger began to open up to me about his recent struggles. He had left a trail of broken relationships and bad habits behind him. He had a tide of uncertain outcomes rolling toward him. He found himself at a crossroads and was looking for someone who could help him take his next step.

We talked about his childhood. He had two loving parents who were still together after many years. We talked about his plans for the future. He was excelling in his role in the military and hoped to make a career out of it. As we talked about his faith, the crux of Roger’s struggles came to light.

Roger had grown up going to church with his parents. That is, until some over-eager religious folks did some idiotic stuff, leaving his dad fed up with church. Roger’s dad never looked back. He left the church behind. He left Jesus behind. And he left his young son behind just as the boy was trying to find out what role Jesus would have in his life.

The spiritual abandonment left Roger wandering during his formative years. When he was trying to look to his father for help—his dad had hung a “closed” sign on the door to his heart. That would be hard for anyone, but it’s especially hard for a young man with a strong sense of justice, hoping for a hand from the most important man in his life.

Once his dad checked out, Roger’s life flew into a tailspin of bad habits. His life reflected his father’s struggle. Roger believed deeply in Jesus. He believed Jesus was the Son of God. But he didn’t know what that was supposed to mean everyday.

Roger didn’t know how or even if Jesus fit into his relationships. He didn’t know how much Jesus wanted to be part of his future plans. He didn’t understand how much Jesus valued and treasured the man he was becoming. He didn’t know where to turn to find the answers his young heart was yearning for.

In his heart, he wanted to believe. He desperately wanted it. He had been holding on to hope.

His story laid out before me, Roger sighed. “See how messed up I am?” 

I gave him my best smile. I was full of so much hope for him. But I knew what I wanted for Roger was only a drop in the bucket compared to what Jesus had for him.

So I made Roger a promise. It’s the same promise I’ve lived by for years now. It’s the promise that changed my life more than thirty years ago. It’s the promise I’ve tried to help people understand for over twenty-five years. It’s the best promise anyone can know who is struggling to find their footing regarding faith, habits, choices, relationships, and so many of life’s opportunities.

“Every day with Jesus is better than any day without him.”

WHAT JESUS WANTS

Way too many people are living a life like the one Roger struggled with. Until he realized that Jesus is an Everyday Jesus. Until Roger realized Jesus wasn’t a Sunday thing. He came to understand Jesus wanted to be part of his everyday life. Jesus wants the same thing for you.

So many people are living life without Jesus. Maybe they go to church on Sunday to check some kind of religious, cultural, or familial obligation off their list. It’s like going to the gym once a year and hoping for a six-pack. Most don’t even do that. Most people just ignore Jesus altogether.

How does Jesus influence your daily life? If you are living without him, you are missing what he wants for you. In fact, he died so your life could be different.

Perhaps the reality of your present situation is that your life is not influenced by Jesus. You go to work without him. You navigate your home life and essential relationships without him. Even your habits and hobbies are missing what he wants for you. If that describes you, you’re missing the piece that holds it all together.

The simple truth is this: Jesus loves you. A life lived without him is much less than what it could be. If that’s you—you’re right where Roger was. Embrace the promise Roger came to realize. Jesus is an Everyday Jesus. And, everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him.

When you do, you will treat the people around you differently. Your relationships will become better than you ever dreamed they could be. When Jesus becomes part of your everyday reality, you will treat yourself differently, too. Your personal habits will shift. Your emotional well-being will improve. You will find peace and joy inside. Your strength to face your struggles will come from someone who wants nothing but the best for you.

Living everyday with Jesus shouldn’t be complicated. It should be simple and straightforward. Life with Jesus should be personal. Life with Jesus should be full of grace. Life with Jesus should be full of purpose.

If you have struggled with any of those things, it’s time to disrupt the status quo. It’s time to walk away from where you’ve been. It’s time to move into the kind of life Jesus has always wanted for you. The life where he is. It’s time to embrace Jesus everyday.

When I set out to write this book, it was for a very specific person and purpose. My big audacious dream for this book is that it will land in the hands of someone like Roger. Someone who wants to live everyday in the company of Jesus. Someone willing to reach out and ask for help.

My prayer for every page has been that it will all point to a single guiding principle. Jesus. Always. You can skip around if something in the table of contents grabs your attention. But the order is intentional and, I hope, helpful.

There are chapters about the character and nature of Jesus as he has revealed himself to me over the years. Because why would anyone want to spend everyday with someone if they don’t know them? Who Jesus is informs a lot about where we go and how we get there with him.

Some of the chapters are about some of the bumps in the road we’ll all face. You can’t go anywhere without facing some challenges. Every journey involves an intersection or two. These chapters address some of the most common issues I've encountered in my own life and in twenty-five years of trying to help others sort it out for themselves.

Ultimately, I aim to provide a set of tools that will equip you to truly live out your faith authentically everyday. I want to help you realize how simple life with Jesus is. I want you to know how much freedom there is. I hope you will come away full of hope. I want your heart to fill up with the kind of hope Jesus has for you. I want you to realize what it looks like when grace is part of your everyday rhythm. I want you to find purpose. One that surges inside you daily as you walk hand in hand with Jesus—everyday.

You’ll learn what Roger, myself, and countless others have discovered across the ages: Everyday with Jesus is better than any day without him.

The Christian Halloween Dilemma: Celebrate, Sidestep, or Shine?

Should Christians be celebrating Halloween?

Every year as October 31st approaches, many Christians find themselves at a crossroads, grappling with an internal dilemma: How do we reconcile the playful and spooky festivities of Halloween with our deeply-held faith? Amidst the sea of pumpkins, ghosts, and witches, this question often casts a shadow, prompting reflection and sometimes uncertainty. Should we participate in this?

Some wholeheartedly embrace the spooky season, seeing it as just good fun. They receive Halloween, joining in festivities without hesitation. Others reject it, associating the holiday with values they find conflicting with their faith.

But what if there's a third way? An approach that doesn't reject or receive, but redeems the day? 

Colossians 1:13-14 tells us, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." 

To redeem Halloween means to use the opportunity it offers. It's about teaching loving truths, imparting values, and showing our kids a positive approach rooted in Christ.

Here's the truth: Satan isn't a creator. He's a corruptor. So why give him even a day on our calendar? 

Psalm 118:24 reminds us "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

October 31st is still ours. It could be a day to celebrate life, cherish family moments, and enjoy fun. It can be joyous, filled with laughter and togetherness. Enjoying good food and candy with your loved ones, donning fun costumes, and participating in community activities can all align with Christian values when approached with the right heart.

What’s the right heart? Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

With this perspective, rather than focusing on any perceived darkness of Halloween, we can be that beacon of light. Let our actions, words, and celebrations echo our faith. Remember, darkness is best driven out not by ignoring it but by introducing the radiant light of Christ.

This Halloween, let's choose to redeem the day, filling it with love, laughter, and light. Let's teach our children that everyday belongs to God, we don’t have to do what others choose to do the way they choose to do it, and we can also have a lot of fun.

Life is about making choices that mirror our beliefs. This Halloween, remember to shine bright amidst the festivities. After all, isn't that what it's all about? Dive into the fun, and let the light of Christ shine through you. Stay safe, stay positive, and stay true to who you are in Christ!

Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! If you're like me, you're probably feeling a mix of excitement and dread about all the things you want to accomplish in the coming year. But before you start making a long list of resolutions that you'll probably forget about by February, let's try something different. Instead of focusing on goals, let's focus on habits.

As James Clear says in his book Atomic Habits, "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them." In other words, habits have a snowball effect. They may seem small and insignificant at first, but over time they can have a huge impact on your life.

But here's the thing: goals are like a finish line. Once you reach them, you're done. Habits, on the other hand, are ongoing. They're a part of who you are. As John Maxwell says, "Your personal habits determine your success more than any other factor." That's why I choose to focus on habits rather than goals. I want to become the kind of person who consistently does the things that will help me achieve my long-term objectives, rather than just trying to achieve a specific outcome.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: "But habits are hard to form! How am I supposed to remember to do all this stuff every day?" Trust me, I get it. Changing your habits can be tough. But as Mark Twain once said, "Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed down-stairs a step at a time." In other words, take it slow. Don't try to overhaul your entire life at once. Choose one or two habits that you want to work on, and start small. Maybe it's just doing a few push-ups every day, or spending a few minutes meditating before bed. Whatever it is, the key is to make it manageable and sustainable.

So this year, let's ditch the resolutions and focus on building habits that will help us become the best version of ourselves. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. Happy habit-forming!

Merry Christmas

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Good news is the best news. It is precisely what God promised through the Prophet Isaiah. Jesus is that promised child. He was born of a woman. He was a human man.

Jesus is the son who was given. The only begotten son of God. He was given by God—to us. Jesus is a gift. Remarkable. The Gift of God Himself born into our world to save us.

Jesus is a king. Actually, He is the King. That’s why the prophet said the government would be upon His shoulders. Everyone will serve a king. Either you are your own king—for now. Or you serve Jesus. Here’s a promise straight from scripture: One day every knee will bow to King Jesus.

Jesus represents you before God. He is our Wonderful Counselor. He advises, assists, helps, and aides. That’s a pretty big deal. Don’t overlook it. When was the last time you stood before God on behalf of yourself? Exactly.

Jesus is God the Son and the Son of God. He is our Mighty God. He is mighty in power, deed, love, and grace. It’s precisely why He can stand before God on our behalf.

Did you know there are no orphans in Christ’s kingdom? Jesus is our Everlasting Father. He is a Father to all who come to Him. FOREVER. Let that sink in.

No human can rein without the military capacity to protect his rule. Jesus is the Monarch of Mercy and crowned King of Resolution. When He whispered, “It is finished,” it was done. Jesus is our Prince of Peace. 

Who is Jesus to you? Trick question. He is everything Isaiah promised and more. The babe born in the manger is your good news. He is God’s gift from Heaven. But none of that will make a difference in your life until you embrace the truth about Christmas. Jesus came to you so that you would come to Him.

Difficulty and Miracles

That hard thing you woke up to. It’s not the end. It’s the path. A path to what? It’s the path to a miracle you may not see coming.

Whether you’re battling pain, your health, financial trouble, or something else entirely—trouble never seems far away. Life is hard. That’s truth. But we live in a world where most people seem afraid to acknowledge hard things as a normal part of this life. They are. Life is hard. Difficulties aren’t the exception they are the expectation.

Expect difficulty. Lean into it. Not because you were hoping it would find you, but because you’re not afraid of it anymore. You can’t afford to spend your life dodging difficult things. Not only will it render you weak in a way you may never understand, it will Rob you of the miracle waiting on the other side.

No one knows peace like the one in the middle of life’s raging storm. No one knows warmth like the one trapped in the frigid wasteland. No one understands the miracle like the one standing on the precipice of disaster.

Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t turn back.

As hard as whatever you’re facing right now may be, as hard as what comes next might get—your miracle is waiting for you in the middle of the insanity.

There’s an amazing stretch of scripture in the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter nine Matthew recalled a moment when Jesus healed several people in short succession. Each of those people were smack dab in the middle of a crazy difficulty. It was when things were terrible that the miracle showed up. That’s when things changed for them.

We shouldn’t go looking for difficulty. But we shouldn’t spend our days dodging it either. Your difficulty is fertile ground for the miracle that’s coming. Hold on.

“Out of difficulties grow miracles.“ - Jean de la Bruyere

THE MIRACLE OF THE MOMENT

My son is 10 today. This is an excerpt from my book “Learn Love Live” about the day he was born.

When our faith flexes for all to see.

 Late one night in March my son Ethan was born. It was an incredible day. The culmination of months of prayer, joy, nervousness, faith, and preparation. Jamie and I didn’t know how to be parents. Sometimes I wonder if we still don’t. But it didn’t really matter at Saint Mary’s hospital in the infant delivery ward the day our Ethan arrived.

Like many first-time parents we were waiting expectantly for the day to come when we would be able to hold our little prince in our arms. Our friends and family celebrated the onset of our parenthood with gifts and parties. It was a season of incredible joy as everyone in our lives gathered around us. A heightened sense of anticipation descended on our circle of friends, close loved ones, and faith family. Ethan’s due date came and went with no small amount of nervousness on our part.

Jamie’s doctor departed for a family cruise and we were introduced to some new guy. He was not the kind lady we had spent the last nine months learning to trust. He seemed capable sure, and kind, and all the kinds of things you hope for if the situation arises when you need another doctor to perform the baby-delivering equivalent of pinch-hitting.

A week passed. Jamie and Baby Ethan were perfectly fine according to all tests, but I was getting super nervous. Still, this was nothing compared to my dad. Finally, the substitute baby doctor guy announced early the next week he would need to step in and help the process along. Allowing nature to delay much longer would begin to cause opportunities for major complications. We trusted this guy because we trusted who invited him into our lives.

So, on a Monday morning we showed up at the hospital with all our bags packed to begin the process. Boy was it a process. All day tests were running, conversations were had, and doctors seen. It was a day of waiting, praying, and trusting. Like never before, and rarely since, Jamie and I both felt the muscles of our faith flex as if to say, “don’t be afraid.”

We shared the news of what was happening, first with our loved ones, and then the world at large across social media. The love poured in. It was if dozens and maybe even hundreds of people were lending us their faith because each one knew this was new territory for us. With every passing moment we drew closer to the miracle we had prayed and waited for. As all those moments crept by, we could feel the reassurance of love.

It was like this incredible substance I spoke of earlier was propping us up. It was a palpable gathering of the unseen activated on our behalf. What one writer in the Bible described as faith via the evidence of things not seen. We couldn’t see it, but we could feel it. The ramifications were evident as our souls were encouraged.

The long day stretched longer. Someone, I think my mother, brought my favorite hamburger and a chocolate shake. I wasn’t hungry. How could I be hungry awaiting such a monumental miracle? But I ate the entire thing and remained not hungry as I drank down all forty liquid ounces of the superb chocolate shakey goodness.

The long day stretched, and yawned, and winked into night as a sliver of the moon rose above our small town as if to say it was almost time. Just like another man in the Bible described the arrival of a baby in a barn—it was the fullness of time, our time, and my son took his first beautiful breath on this earth.

I cried. My wife cried. It was faith made manifest. It was trust personified. It was the full range of the miraculous in motion and thrust upon our family with all the majesty of the moment. Faith was flexing big right before my eyes with the full force of the love God has for all of us.

Ethan was a promise given. A promise born. It wasn’t just a baby born that day, but it was a mother and father, a grandmother and grandfather, an uncle and cousins. A ripple of life echoed across everyone meaning anything to us and we were all changed. We were all made to mean a little more. We were all together in this and it was lovely beyond imagination.

Faith is a muscle we flex across a myriad of moments, but it is also a miracle that resounds with the finality of lightning. It is both ethereal and ever present. It is surmounting and inescapable in its subjugation of the right now and its dance across our unknown.

We can know, and we can hope, and we can see, and we can trust. Even when we don’t feel it, especially when we don’t feel it. Even when it seems elusive and illusive. When our faith seems deeply inadequate, we can borrow some from a friend.

There have been plenty of times when my faith was not enough. I had to look beyond my own hiccups and draw deeply from the reservoirs of a friend. My mentor, pastor, and close friend Mark is a continuing source of this for me.

Mark likes to joke that he is Iron Man because he has a mechanical heart valve. I’ve never done it, because I don’t make a habit of putting my ear to grown men’s chests, but his wife says she can hear it ticking away at home in the silence of the night. Every flicker of Mark’s heart is a faith moment as he trusts in what he can’t see. He’s lived a full life of putting Jesus at the center, loving people well, and leading and serving with great integrity. He is without a doubt one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Mark had been my family’s pastor for a while. He loved us through some big changes in our life. He led us through even more changes. And he helped launch us into our dream of becoming pastors of our own new, growing, and healthy church family. All of it came with a lot of bumps, talks, prayers, conversations, and confidence. His faith muscle is even bigger than his biceps (which are gigantic). I know when my faith is flickering I can borrow some from him.

There was a guy like this in the Bible who met Jesus one day. He needed help. He needed a miracle. Jesus asked him if he believed and he said, “Yes! But help me with my unbelief.”

This guy’s story demonstrates what way too many people are being silent about in their own faith journey. We’ve spent years communicating (intentionally or otherwise) you can’t experience both faith and doubt at the same time. I’m not buying it. The faith in our life flexes so much more when there’s uncertainty to face down first.

Ethan’s first breaths weren’t the normal baby breaths doctors expect to be greeted by. There was something much different about them. Something alarming to the people who know what to look for.

So, after a moment of celebration and wonder the well-meaning doctor pulled our son from my wife’s arms and whisked him away to another room. Suddenly, here at the end of an already long and emotional day we found the depth of raw emotions butting up against our years of working faith. We prayed. People we love prayed. Friends, family, and our church prayed. Heaven was on the receiving end of a barrage of people flexing together. The culminating trust of so many echoed big along those hallowed corridors.

Part of me wonders if those who went home before us jumped in to lend their faith as they heard the echoes pass them by. It might sound like wonky theology, but I can just imagine Grandma and Grandpa King picking up the clarion call as they mustered their faith from their remarkable perspective. Jamie said it best from the midst of her confused and longing heart, “I want my Ethan.” Love wants what love wants. It wasn’t just a cry of desperation. It was a statement of faith echoing across eternity as it was repeated in the mouths of praying loved ones.

Ethan’s birth was the culmination of something hard to articulate in a few pages. The sudden alarm for his well-being was something altogether different. As the combined prayers of the many continued in petition of our Heavenly Father the strange breathing normalized. Ethan was returned to mommy’s embrace.

Just like that God showed me how good the experience of our faith at work can be. He didn’t show it to me once. He didn’t even show it to me twice. He showed me twice in the same day.

Faith flexed the moment Ethan was born. It was the bright miracle of a new life entering this world for all to see. It was the holy awe of what it feels like to love a living creation of your own soul. Faith also made itself known as the alarming moments of misunderstanding fell away before complete trust in our amazing Father.

Faith is practiced. It is work. It is art. It is a muscle we hone, and it is also a miracle. The miracle of faith isn’t only a progression of movement between moments, it is also a sublime experience of the miraculous in the moment.

There will be plenty of moments throughout our lives when we must lean deeply into faith in the private spaces of our day-to-day decisions. There will also be those penultimate circumstances when a loved one, friend, neighbor, or son need us and our faith. Our faith is a beautiful thing when it stands on its own—trusting Jesus like the guy in the story I mentioned. Our faith is a glorious thing when it stands together as it did for us the night Ethan was born. Those are amazing moments of holding, helping, and hoping within a community of people all believing and trusting for the same thing. Such a myriad of personalities coming together and bombarding heaven with a joining of faith catches the attention of heaven in an entirely different way.

Faith is the substance of our hope. It is the evidence of what we don’t see. It is the everyday stuff, the working it out stuff, and it is the miracle happening just when we need it most.

Your Best

18 months. Everyday for 18 months we have spent with our big boys. In the beginning it was hard. We had to find new rhythms. Like everybody else we faced all the unknowns around us. We struggled with how to lead our family and faith family through a pandemic. We did our best. You did too.

While the world seemed to go off the rails and people turned their opinions into their passions it all got a lot more confusing for all of us. But we did our best. While politics and social turmoil seemed rampant everyone was shouting that you should do this or do that. But all you should ever do is your best.

Some days it will seem like your best is not enough. Which is hard to face when so much is at stake. But all you should ever do is your best. And trust God to make up the difference.

18 months. Everyday for 18 months we have spent with our big boys. Until today. Ethan led his little brother into their school. He helped him find his classroom. Now it’s their time to do their best.

Last night at the dinner table I held Jon close and hugged him tight. I felt myself grieving the passing of time and the changing of this hard season into a new season. But all you should ever do is your best. I believe we have. And so have you. Trust God to make up the difference.

How To Become Wise

We all need more wisdom in our life. I have a firm belief that wisdom is something God wants for us. Why? Because of just how much it will help us. So I wrote a 31 day guide for how to become more wise. Check out the introductory section below.

Buy “The Wisdom Trail Guide” on Amazon.

Welcome to the Trailhead.

I stood there just staring ahead with a big decision to make. I’m sure the importance of my pending choice was etched upon my face like a warrior choosing his weapon. This decision would set the course of my life for the foreseeable future. The weighty decision pressed down on me. I could feel my kids gathered behind me anticipating the outcome of this life-changing decision. Finally, it was time. “I’ll take three cups of chocolate with sprinkles and hot fudge please.” Whew, that was a close one.

Obviously, my choice of ice cream on an afternoon outing with my kids doesn’t carry the weight of the kingdom. But you and I make weighty decisions all the time. Sometimes they are overt decisions like whether to switch jobs, move to a new home, or make some other life altering change. Other decisions are subtle. They are the habits we carve out one choice at a time; in the way we spend our moments, consume our entertainment, or talk with friends.

Nothing we do is wasted. All of it matters—it shapes who we are. Do you know what no one has ever said to me? “Wow, I hope I am not a wise person.” I’ve never received a text that read, “I just made a really huge decision and I hope it was the wrong one.” That has never happened. 

On the flip side, it seems like someone reaches out to me every day needing help with a decision. They are facing a choice. They come in search of a friendly voice. Someone willing and able to offer counsel. Someone who will point them down the trail.

Once upon a time I was really afraid of letting people down. Now, many years later, I know letting people down kind of comes with breathing. We disappoint each other all the time. That’s not me being cynical. That’s called honesty. 

Do you know what would really let my friends down when they look for help? If I offer empty platitudes rather than earned Wisdom. So that’s precisely what I try to serve up; Wisdom.

Let me be really clear about something that won’t surprise you. It’s something my Mom, my wife, and a great many others learned a long time ago. I frequently falter where Wisdom is concerned. I don’t have Wisdom penned up in my backyard where I go to collect some whenever I have a need. That would be wonderful; But weird. Wisdom doesn’t work that way. There aren’t any tricks. There are no shortcuts to Wisdom. 

There isn’t a Wisdom Genie you can carry around in your pocket. You can’t throw a coin into the Wisdom Well. You can’t attain Wisdom wishing upon a star. No pots of Wisdom are waiting at the end of the rainbow. No Wisdom is to be had if you manage to chase down a unicorn.

Wisdom isn’t a miracle. Wisdom is earned. Wisdom is harvested one hard turn of the soil at a time. You acquire wisdom across a lifetime of trial and error. Good luck. I laughed when I wrote that because it sounds so fatalistic. Wisdom isn’t quite that hard to get. It’s not magic, but it’s not the secret prize waiting at the end of the Hunger Games either. 

There is a path to Wisdom. Sometimes it’s a clear next step on a well-trodden trail. Sometimes it’s a bushwhack through the jungle. Either way it is worth it because Wisdom is amazing. It calls to us from across human history. We can find it in poetry. We can sit at the feet of our elders and learn many lessons. Wisdom is incredible.

It’s no small wonder that God put Wisdom on the hearts of the many men who wrote what would come to be known as the Bible. In fact, right in the heart of the book many people call the “Word of God” is what is also fondly referred to as the “Wisdom Literature”. That’s no accident.

Wisdom will guard your heart from many things. But it will guard your head, your home, your wallet, and your well-being too.

Sometimes when I talk to people about Wisdom they get this look in their eyes like it’s too hard a thing to chase down. As if the pursuit of Wisdom is some grandiose quest God dangles in front of us like a carrot on a stick. Look, when it comes to God there are no carrots and there are no sticks. There’s just a really great Dad who loves his kids and wants what’s best for them.

Wisdom is not something God wants from you. Wisdom is something God wants FOR you.

In the heart of the Wisdom Literature is a small book that captures the culture of an ancient people led by wise kings. That’s not something to be balked at. This small book of thirty one short chapters holds the collective Wisdom of a kingdom that has long fascinated the world. And for good reason.

Have you ever found yourself facing a decision only to wonder, “what is the wise thing here?” Most of us have. Still, plenty of decisions are made with little regard for Wisdom. In fact I often sit and scratch my head wondering at whether or not we have decided to ditch Wisdom altogether!

The stories of the Bible show us that ancient people did the same thing. They routinely walked away from Wisdom. They made other choices. And their path suffered for it.

Wisdom carries weight, and it opens opportunities. The effects of wise living shape the world before you in so many ways; Even as the effect it has on your personal well-being shapes you for your own good and the betterment of others.

It would be a shame to leave Wisdom on the table. Instead, what if we leaned in when another shot at Wisdom showed up? What if we treated Wisdom like an old friend? What if we could sit at the feet of Wisdom and catch something wonderful? We can.

While becoming wise is not an overnight event or a one-off magic moment, it is a process that you can both invite yourself into and initiate. God made it possible one statement at a time all through the Proverbs.

What is a proverb? It’s a short saying packed with significance. And the Book of Proverbs is a collection of them unlike anything else in human history.

Over the next thirty one days I hope you will lean in to see what Wisdom has to say. Remember that it’s not asking anything of you. Rather it wants something amazing for you. A life of wisdom is better than you can begin to imagine. 

Wisdom leads us toward God. It brings about a unique sense of how to live. It provides order for how to follow and direction for where to go next. Wisdom cuts off the effect of chaos and invites us into a life that bears the remarkable stamp of someone in pursuit of God’s best life for them.

This short book is not exhaustive. You won’t look up at the end and say, “I’ve arrived at Wisdom.” But hopefully you’ll look up after these next steps together and realize you’re off to a great start.

Everyday together is meant to cultivate another step forward. I’ve written short segments I hope will encourage your heart, your head, and your hands as you set off to see what Wisdom has for you.

I hope you won’t just read it. Information offers us almost nothing until we do something with it. So each daily entry comes with a challenge. Sometimes the step I’m asking you to take is one you’ll do internally. Wisdom has to have a place to reside. You’ll work that in prayer and patience as you reflect on the thought of the day. There are also moments when I challenge you to get out into your world and do something. Both are vital.

As you put it all together you will feel yourself moving. It will seem a small thing if this is all new to you. Don’t be discouraged. Just keep going. If you miss a day don’t beat yourself up. Just don’t miss two.

If you really want to squeeze the trail for everything on offer, gather in the company of some good friends and take the journey together. There are questions at the end of each week to guide a group discussion. I can’t wait to sit around a campfire someday and find out what you’ve learned.

Thanks for checking this introduction to “The Wisdom Trail Guide: 31 Steps to A Life of Wisdom”. If you want to take your next steps toward a life of Wisdom order your copy today.

“Don’t Force It” Is Terrible Advice

“Don’t force it” sounds like great advice to someone trying to follow God’s plan for their life. Only, it’s not. It’s terrible advice.

Certainly, don’t force your way into something contrary to God’s goodness. Do not force a step that steers you away from Him. But not every outcome is dependent on you waiting in passivity. No. Force it.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

Our world doesn’t need more passive people of faith trying to court their favorite political ideologue into legislating morality. We don’t need laissez-faire men hoping their kids will become who they hope for. We don’t need to turn over the stuff God’s put inside us to chance.

Yes. Be patient. Absolutely. Pray like crazy. Also, work like it all depends on you. Force it.

Why? Because only by forcing it will you arrive at two really critical conclusions.

First, you’ll realize you had more to give to God’s plan for your life than you believed at first. There was more in the tank than you had estimated. You were more capable than you understood. There was a hidden gear you couldn’t get to until you tried desperately to make it happen. Do you know what happens there? You grow.

Or, you’ll give it all you’ve got and it won’t be enough. Sometimes when you force it, and you’re not enough—you will fail. Get back up and try to force it again. Sometimes when you force it, and you’re not enough—you will learn how strong God is on your behalf.

Do you know what happens when you fail? You grow. Do you know what happens when you learn how your weakness is God’s opportunity? You grow.

Giving everything you do everything you’ve got doesn’t mean your faith is weak. It means you trust God is with you. You know He steers the ship.

Or, you can assume a small weak faith that is too afraid to dare something amazing. You can live a passive faith that keeps waiting “for the door to open”.

So yeah. Force it. Never stop forcing it. Watch your life change as God shows you what kicking the right door down looks like.