“The sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth.”

Don’t get mad at me – Jesus said it! It’s from Luke 16:8-9, which we sometimes call the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (see 16:1-13).

I’ll now include the ninth verse in its entirety: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” As you can see, it’s certainly not the case that adding the last phrase of that verse makes the parable easy to interpret.

In the parable, the shrewd manager learns that he’s about to be fired for mishandling his boss’s resources, so he takes some drastic actions to save his own hide. He strategically reduces the debts of his boss’s debtors. You and I might expect Jesus to impugn the selfish motives of the desperate manager, but Christ does the opposite. Via the boss’s reaction in the parable, and via His own words to His disciples, Christ commends the manager’s quick thinking and savvy leadership.

Perhaps it seems a bit odd to us to think about our perfect Lord making a positive example out of someone’s shrewd business practices, but that’s exactly what we find here. He calls us, strange as it may sound, to be faithful even in our “unrighteous wealth.” So what are we to make of all of this?

First of all, I would suggest that we’re to receive this parable as a critical reality check. By that I mean that Jesus wants us to be wise in every area of our lives. We learn from this story that a wise person understands that their season of productivity is finite in nature. It won’t last forever. The daily commute to and from the office will one day cease. The last sales pitch will one day be delivered. The placard with our name on the cubicle will one day be taken down. There will be no more corporate ladders to climb. Our final paycheck will be issued and cashed. Just like everything else about this life, our time in the workplace won’t last forever.

If we live long enough, every one of us will one day get the message from our mind or from our body (or from both): “You’re no longer able to do what you’ve been doing.” And there are, of course, multiple lesser versions of that message which may come sooner to alert us that – at a bare minimum – we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing with the same intensity or pace. Or, even closer to the parable itself, someone may inform us that “the powers that be” have determined that it’s time for us to call it quits.

Such is life, and such moments are rarely easy. In the parable, we’re not told that the manager has reached “retirement age” or that any lucrative buyout has been offered. There’s no apparent gravy train on the horizon. We’re simply told that the man gets it: he knows that his time has come. His job is coming to an abrupt end. So I’m purposefully widening the application of the parable to include all of the situations in which you and I must be practically ingenious in the moment. In fact, you and I must rely upon the wisdom of God every day that we breathe. Thankfully, the mind of Christ is already ours in Him (1 Corinthians 2:16).

In the parable, when the manager renegotiates the contracts without permission, he is displaying a savviness that makes every debtor happy (who wouldn’t appreciate a reduced debt?) – but it also makes his boss look good. It’s even more clever than it appears at first glance, as the boss will have no choice except to accept the new terms. After all, who wants to renege on an arrangement that makes you look like the hero?

In the end, it’s the boss who gets the last laugh, as there’s no mention of the shrewd manager – no matter his quick smarts or his noteworthy wit – having salvaged his own job. By telling this story, Jesus is not condoning dishonest behavior on any level, but He is reminding us that we ought to put even more of our energy into the affairs of His Kingdom. It’s one thing to be streetwise, but are we Kingdom-wise? If worldly people draw upon street smarts to advance material prosperity, which is destined to fail at some point, all the more should God’s people draw upon God’s wisdom to promote spiritual prosperity – which is destined to succeed beyond our wildest dreams!

So there’s one more question that each one of us needs to ask ourselves today: Am I being wise about eternity? It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the false gods of materialism and power and pleasure. It is this very place in Scripture where our Lord reminds us: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Friends, there is one Way that leads to eternal life, and His name is Jesus!

The Bible says that now is the day of salvation, so we must make certain – today – that our trust is in Christ, and in Christ alone. “And He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Amen.

Pastor Charles

You may never know how much people need you.

When the proverbial chips are down, your friends need to know that you will be there for them. That you will have their back. That you, even when they cannot defend themselves, will take up their cause with all of the fervor and energy that you can muster. This is the nature of true friendship, and anything less falls short of friendship.

In the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

If you remember Paul Simon’s “I am a rock; I am an island” from 1965, then you remember what I believe was his main point: friendship is a risky thing. Indeed it is. We’ve all been hurt and betrayed by people whom we believed were our friends. But that does not negate our need for friendship. God hardwired us to need each other. And genuine friendship is worth the risk, just as genuine love is worth the risk. Ruth and Naomi needed it. David and Jonathan needed it. Paul and Timothy needed it. You and I need it. “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

St. Augustine once quoted Cicero: “Friendship is agreement with kindliness and affection about things human and divine.” We could add to that a number of critical admonitions from the Bible about how we ought to befriend one other. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). You and I are to display, within the real-life context of our earthly friendships, the very love with which God has loved us … undeserved love … steady love … steadfast love … unflinching love … unfailing love … forgiving love … persevering love …

You may know that I’m a big fan of Winston Churchill. (If you ever get to London, make sure to visit the Churchill War Rooms on King Charles Street. That’s all I’ll say about that for now, but don’t forget that bit of advice. You’ll be glad you visited.) One intriguing chapter of history from that era includes the story of Harry Hopkins, who served as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and who became FDR’s most trusted adviser. Hopkins not only administered certain critical offshoots of the New Deal, but he became an expert on foreign affairs, serving as a kind of liaison between Roosevelt and the Allied leaders as World War II was taking shape.

In the course of time, Prime Minister Churchill came to highly regard Hopkins as “a flaming soul” and “a natural leader of men.” At one critical moment, when the U.S. was in the throes of deciding whether or not to get directly involved in the fight against Hitler – and our isolationist foreign policy as a whole did not lean in that direction – FDR sent Hopkins to Europe for meetings with Churchill. Churchill wisely understood that these conversations would largely determine our nation’s course of action in regard to entering the War – or not. In a very real sense, Western Civilization hung in the balance. When it was all said and done, what word of advice would President Roosevelt receive from Harry Hopkins?

If my understanding of history is accurate, Winston Churchill was on the edge of his seat as much as Churchill could ever be found on the edge of his seat! After a special dinner in Glasgow hosted by Tom Johnston, here is the summation that was offered to Churchill by Hopkins: “I suppose you wish to know what I am going to say to President Roosevelt on my return. Well, I’m going to quote you one verse from that Book of Books in the truth of which Mr. Johnston’s mother and my own Scottish mother were brought up. ‘Whither thou goest, I will go, and where though lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.’”

Historians tell us that, after the quote from Ruth 1:16, Hopkins added: “Even to the end.” Churchill was in tears, which I can assure you wasn’t an everyday occurrence, because he knew exactly what Hopkins meant. His friend was still on his side. America would be on the side of Great Britain. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Someone needs your friendship today. If you will think about your life for just a moment, you may realize that you – right now – are uniquely positioned to help someone in a way in which no one else can help. I’m urging you to be that kind of friend. The free world might not be on the line, but sometimes our “smaller” decisions reap dividends of eternal value.

Churchill nicknamed Hopkins “Lord Root of the Matter,” and the friendship between the two men never waned. May God grant each one of us the support and encouragement that we need for these tumultuous times in which we live. May He give us – and may He make us – true friends! And I am so grateful to be able to remind you, even as I pen this blog posting, that – in our Lord Jesus Christ – you and I have “a Friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Pastor Charles

You are loved. Yes, you. The human soul longs to know that this is true.

From our earliest childhood memories, most of us recall a deep desire for love and acceptance. Our young and impressionable hearts would wander … and wonder … “Does Mom really like my art project?” … “Is Dad really proud of the way that I caught that ball?” To various and sundry degrees, our earthly parents nurtured us – by their actions and by their words – into various and sundry degrees of feeling loved.

When it comes to our self-identity, even if we believe that we had the “best” parents on earth, our parents were unable to instill in us a perfect knowledge of a perfect love. They may have desired deeply to give us a perfect assurance of their acceptance of us, and they may have given their most valiant effort to that end, but they did it imperfectly. That is the nature of all human love. It is always less than perfect. Because we live in a world of sin, and because we inhabit a fallen planet, our best efforts at loving others are never 100%.

If you are a parent, I know that you can relate to what I’m saying. When it comes to how well we’re doing at the task of parenting, there’s never a day that goes by that we don’t wish that we had done at least something a little differently. We may try our best to offer love and acceptance to our kids, but we don’t always succeed. Somehow, life gets in the way of love.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “My parents didn’t even try.” If that is your situation, my heart goes out to you. I am so sorry for the pain that you have endured. Sadly, all of us, to one degree or another, have inherited some substantive pain when it comes to the deep-down, gut-wrenching, soul-level hunger to be loved with a perfect love.

And yet, I can still affirm, unequivocally: YOU ARE LOVED.

One of my wife’s favorite verses is Psalm 145:9, where the Bible reminds us of the unchanging character of God. Here it is: “The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.”

All.

Yes, I looked it up. All means all.

When you and I recognize that the love of God, on some core level, touches all of His creatures, it forces us to decouple our blessings from our faithfulness. Said differently, we begin to realize that God simply loves us. He doesn’t love us because we’re good. (We’re not.) He doesn’t love us because we’re successful. He doesn’t love us because we’re spiritual. He doesn’t love us because of our prayers or our religious acts. He doesn’t love us because we deserve it. He just loves us. Period.

And, if you are in Christ – if you are trusting in Jesus Christ by faith – then you have tasted God’s love in the most marvelous of ways. You have been forgiven! You have been freed! You have been adopted forever into the family of our perfect Father! Now we are His sons and daughters. We are the apple of His eye. We are the joy of His heart. We are His Beloved.

In Christ, we are loved. God loved us at great cost to Himself. In fact, it cost Him everything. He gave us His Son. After declaring us His friends, Christ laid down His life for us. You and I are loved extravagantly. In Him, we really are loved with a perfect love.

Human love can be wonderful, and we all need it desperately, but the perfect love of God for us is far greater. Far, far greater.

I see it in the rising sun.
I see it in the moonlit sky.
I see it in the hope of spring.
I see it in the birds that fly.

I see it in the air I breathe.
I see it in the clouds and rain.
I see it in the whale and lamb.
I see it in the gospel plain.

I see it in the stranger’s smile.
I see it in a mother’s womb.
I see it in our daily bread.
I see it in an empty tomb.

Valentine’s Day is here. My prayer for you is that, wherever you look today, you will see the love of family and friends – and the love of God for YOU! Yes, you.

“The greatest of these is love.”

Pastor Charles

A hero has fallen.

“Justice will be fought, and the battle will rage. This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.”

Many of us will remember with great fondness how Toby Keith worked tirelessly alongside the USO to perform live concerts for U.S. service members around the world. If my research is correct, Mr. Keith shared his greatest hits – and his magnanimous heart – with a quarter million active-duty military personnel in 17 countries. Toby performed for troops at sea. Toby performed in Afghanistan in the face of a rocket attack by the Taliban. Toby loved his country. Toby loved his craft. Toby loved people.

Last night, America lost a patriot.

You may remember that Keith became the inaugural recipient of the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards last September. The award was presented by his fellow Oklahoman and close friend, Blake Shelton. I believe that, though Keith had first received his stomach cancer diagnosis in 2021, it was that night at the Grand Ole Opry when he brought the wider public into his difficult journey. Adding some levity to that difficult announcement, as we would expect him to do, that’s when Keith quipped, “I bet y’all never thought you would see me in skinny jeans.”

It was that evening when we got just a glimpse into the soul of Toby Keith. As he thanked the members of his family, and as he thanked his plethora of fans, he also made it his priority to give thanks to his trustworthy God. I’m so glad that we have that testimony recorded: “I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it … You gotta do what you gotta do, and I don’t know how people do it without faith … that’s what I did, it was my rock.”

In another interview that took place more recently, Toby seemed to open up about his peace with God, and thus his peace with the reality of his death: “You take it for granted on the days that things are good, and you lean on it when days are bad … It has taught me to lean on it a little more every day … I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened … I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way.”

Most of us would agree that the age of 62 is getting younger and younger, and that it’s far too young for us to feel at ease about saying a final goodbye to someone whom we admire, or someone we love. So the death of Toby Keith becomes for us yet another reminder of the brevity of this life and the nearness of eternity.

I remember an old adage from somewhere, and it still fits …

“Life is short.
Death is sure.
Sin the cause.
Christ the cure.”

You and I must be telling people the good news of Jesus! This lost world all around us is no more in need of grace than were we. I’ll remind you of Paul’s reminder to the Ephesians (2:1-3): “… you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world … among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh …” I would urge you to read that passage in its entirety, because God’s Word makes plain the simple truth that all of us are imprisoned by evil until Christ sets us free. All of us!

And then there’s the wonder of Verses 4 and 5: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved!”

So, whether we’re in Music City or Minnesota or Mozambique, it’s time for us to humble ourselves and share with others this great love with which we have been loved. Not with eyes of judgmentalism. Not with eyes of scorn. Not with eyes of, “What’s wrong with you people?”

But with eyes of mercy and grace. After all, we’ve been invited to a Feast – not a funeral.

“I ain’t got a pot of gold. Girl, I ain’t even got a rainbow. But I’ve heard that love is where treasure can be found.”

Pastor Charles

Nothing has more power over you than a wrong which you hold against another.

Nothing.

It seems strange, doesn’t it? We’re holding onto the harm that has been done to us by another person. At the same time, we have no idea of the more substantial harm that we’re perpetrating against ourselves.

That’s how unforgiveness works, friends. It feels so right, but it’s oh so wrong.

We don’t like to forgive because we confuse forgiveness with justice. It may well be that the person who wronged us doesn’t “deserve” to be forgiven. That is usually the case. The person who hurt us may not care if we forgive them, and in fact may even have no concern at all that they caused us harm. There may have been no effort on their part to make amends of any kind. But justice isn’t the essence of forgiveness.

We don’t like to forgive because we confuse forgiveness with trust. It may well be that the person who wronged us – regardless of whether or not we extend forgiveness – is ineligible to be our BFF (at least for now). In fact, as a general rule for everybody, it’s harmful to relate to people outside of a context marked by healthy boundaries. Learning to apply such wisdom is part of our journey toward maturity. But trust isn’t the essence of forgiveness.

We don’t like to forgive because we confuse forgiveness with acceptance. We’re subtly or not so subtly afraid that, if we choose to forgive, then we have to be “O.K.” with the harm that was done to us. That’s simply not true. It’s very likely that the harm done to us will never be acceptable in the sense that it’s suddenly “alright with us” or morally appropriate behavior. But acceptance isn’t the essence of forgiveness.

We don’t like to forgive because we confuse forgiving with forgetting. This is commonly misunderstood, even among sincere followers of Christ. When we forgive, we may sometimes experience a “holy forgetfulness” (Jeremiah 31:34), but forgiving and forgetting are not one and the same. I would submit for your consideration today that forgiving is much more beautiful than forgetting.

To forgive is to let go. It is to die to our make-believe right to hold the offenses of others against them. It is to lay down our stubborn anger and resentment in the light of a bloody cross. A cross where my sins impaled the nails into my precious Savior. A cross where unmerited love was shouted from heaven. A cross where my forgiveness was secured forever: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

When it comes to the real-life outworkings of forgiveness, none of them can you and I accomplish in human strength. Genuine forgiveness simply can’t be done on our own. But, with our eyes on our risen Lord Jesus, all things are possible indeed. C.S. Lewis rightly observed: “To be Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

When we forgive others, as Christ has so freely forgiven us, we set ourselves free! We allow ourselves to become emotionally and spiritually healthy. We position ourselves to move forward in life in the ways in which we have felt stuck. Forgiveness is an amazing and wonderful thing. It is a rich and multifaceted blessing for all involved. It is a profound work of divine grace in us.

When the “let go” of forgiveness truly happens, more than one prisoner is set free.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Yes, Lord. Give us ears to hear.

Pastor Charles

Who’d have thunk it?

Our 2024 Presidential ballot may look eerily similar to the one we cast in 2020. I don’t know many people who could have predicted our present political situation, or the road we took to get here. It’s been a bit of a strange one, to put it mildly.

You don’t need from me any more political commentary than what you already have available from much more reliable sources. You don’t need my best analysis of any of the issues. You don’t need me to put in my two cents, because my political opining would be worth about – well – two cents.

But what you might need from me is a little hope.

When Jesus taught us to pray to our Heavenly Father, “Deliver us from evil,” He gave us quite a gift (Matthew 6:13). I don’t think that you and I would have figured out that request on our own. We would never have known our need to prevail in the spiritual realm had our Lord not opened our eyes to the truth. That’s because we can’t see into that realm. We know it’s there, but its ways and its weapons transcend human understanding. Sometimes God gives us glimpses into the world of spiritual warfare – I think of Elisha and the chariots of fire – but most often you and I are left to pray and to trust.

In American public life, the obstacles which confront us are becoming too numerous and too colossal to count. I don’t have to tell you that. And, on top of all of our problems both foreign and domestic, we are a nation deeply divided. Divided to the point that it pains nearly all of us.

Poneros is the Greek word that gives rise to the English word “evil” in Christ’s model prayer, but this word is better translated “the evil one.” Call me an alarmist if you wish, but I see this as the explicit instruction of Jesus that you and I should pray for protection against Satan himself. I think that Christ is reminding us to ask our Father, on a regular basis, to protect us from the full fury of Satan’s assault. Our enemy is tireless in his mission: “to steal, to kill, and to destroy.” In effect, when we pray, “Deliver us from evil,” we are saying humbly to the Lord, “I want to be in Your hands – please don’t let me fall into the hands of the enemy!”

It’s so easy for us to forget who our enemy really is. I’m not sure why we forget so readily, but it seems to be an amnesia of universal proportions. Paul reminds us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” but – once again – that seems to go over our head. Before you know it, after ten minutes of our favorite media outlet, we’ve landed on a new enemy – an enemy who then gets all our attention. This ought not be. I’m not claiming that we don’t have any earthly enemies – political or otherwise – but I’m simply underscoring for us our deep and fundamental need to keep our focus on the only One who can deliver us.

Let me say it like this: U.S. Presidents make horrible Messiahs. You can take that reality to the bank. They all have feet of clay. They’re all dogged by pride. They’re all manipulated by power. And I’m not saying these things because I don’t like any of our politicians. I have a few earthly heroes just like you. But my point is that every political leader is entirely human, entirely fallible, and entirely (to steal the words of the English Dissenter and Baptist scholar, Robert Robertson) “prone to wander.”

“Lord, I feel it.”

It’s not just in politics, or in politicians, is it, friends? It’s in me. I’m the one who’s “prone to leave the God I love.” When I pray as Jesus has taught me to pray, I’m also asking the Father to deliver me from the wickedness that resides in my own heart.

As far as I can tell, this is where you and I find ourselves. Right now. The proverbial ball has been teed up, and the climate is perfect for us to be filled with rage between now and November. But what a waste of time and energy that would be!

I need a new vision.

I need a vision of the One who reigns sovereignly over every nation on earth.

I need a vision of the One whose steadfast love endures forever.

I need a vision of the One whose truth is marching on.

I think that I’ll borrow Elisha’s words, and apply them to all of us: “O Lord, please open our eyes that we may see.”

Pastor Charles

The last few days have served up a Winter Wonderland in the Nashville area. I hope you enjoy this photo of a few of the kiddos in Westhaven milking their snow day for all it’s worth.

The fresh blanket of snow changes our perspective on nearly everything. The hills of Middle Tennessee look more like the majestic mountains that set the stage for holiday movies. The normally dull tones of our January grass and shrubs are covered, and everything looks clean and bright. In fact, all the other colors look more vivid against a backdrop of arctic white. The imagery and the loveliness are profound. Everywhere we look, friends, we’re powerfully reminded of the humble prayer of King David (Psalm 51:7): “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Do we really believe that?

Do we really believe that the grace of Christ is sufficient to cover all our sin? In reality, “covered” may be too weak a word. “Obliterated” would be more like it! Our past sin … our present sin … and even our future sin … completely done away with? That’s an amazing concept, if true, and I contend that it is. God has provided a way for all our sin and shame to be eradicated, and that Way is Jesus. In the words of William Cowper (1731-1800): “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Christ came to offer Himself as the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins. By the shedding of His own blood on Calvary’s Cross, our Lord accomplished perfectly that to which every Old Testament sacrifice only pointed to, imperfectly. For those of us who are in Christ, the New Covenant that is ours is vastly superior! The saints of old may have understood their desperate need for their sins to be covered, but you and I know the rest of the story: “It is finished!”

It. Is. Finished. Now that’s a truth we ought to delight in when we put our heads on our pillows this evening!

I can’t add one thing to what Jesus has done for me, and I don’t need to. Nor can I subtract from what Jesus has done for me. It was His finished work on my behalf. It was His gift. His life. His death. His grace.

And now His life is mine. His victory is mine. His resurrection is mine! I can’t imagine why I would ever want it any other way.

Sometimes the devil likes to get us all knotted up in the haunting awareness of our own poor performance. But what we have to keep in mind is that Jesus Christ, even as He set His face toward Jerusalem, had perfect knowledge of our dumbest mistakes and our most grievous offenses. But He loved us, and He died for us, anyway. If we are in Christ, we never have to beg ourselves back into His favor, because His favor was settled more than 2000 years ago. We’re already in.

We are forever loved, y’all. White as snow, y’all. Sweet dreams.

Pastor Charles

It’s more than a little exhilarating to have a personal connection with a player in the NFL. Sunday night Eileen and I were glued to the screen as we watched the Bills defeat the Dolphins in what became the fifth straight win for Buffalo. We enjoyed a little interactive Facebook fun with Jimmy, Bunny, and Kim, who were there in South Florida cheering on their grandson and nephew, Dawson Knox.

And it got even better. Though the Bills were behind when it started, the game’s fourth quarter featured two touchdowns for Buffalo. The first was a 96-yard punt return. And the second – the winning touchdown – was scored by Dawson himself! We could only imagine the celebration that was erupting among our friends in Miami.

As a non-athlete for all intents and purposes, I stay in a starstruck mode of “perpetually impressed” by accomplished athletes like Dawson – men and women who have the perseverance to achieve on the field (or the court, or the ice, or wherever) what most of us can only dream about.

At the same time, no matter the sport that I’m watching, a kind voice keeps whispering in the ear of my soul: “You have your own race to run, Charles, so run well.” Ah, yes! Paul made that clear (2 Timothy 4:7-8). For all of us who follow Jesus, that same clear aim that was the apostle’s should be the finish line which we desire most: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

So how do you and I run in the direction of the only finish line that really matters? Well, quite frankly, I think that we should take a few lessons from Mr. Knox. I’m not referring to the Protestant Reformer whom I’ve quoted many times, but to Dawson – though I believe that John would agree wholeheartedly. In October of 2022, in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dawson scored another winning touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium (you may have seen the photo of Dawson pointing toward the sky). In a post-game interview, here’s what Knox had to say: “Never a doubt. This is how we play, man. You’ve got to take it one play at a time and execute that play. When we do that, it’s hard to beat us.”

Wow! That’s some good stuff if you ask me. Even after the recent and painful loss of his beloved little brother, Luke, Dawson was able to draw upon his strength in Christ and share with the whole world some of life’s most valuable lessons …

1. We ought to keep the faith. Like Dawson, who’s weathered more than his share of injuries, you and I will face our own series of setbacks. Some of those disappointments will be physical, and the others will be of various and sundry stripes, but the Bible urges us to keep our eyes on the ball – and on the prize. Our walk with Christ is not a spectator sport, and sooner or later it will test every fiber of who we are. I’ll share with you Coach Sean McDermott’s assessment of Dawson: “He’s been through it. He’s stuck with it, stuck with it, been resilient, and then he’s been banged up a little bit … My hat goes off to him.”

2. We ought to keep the focus on the steps of wisdom and obedience which we know are ours for today. Life includes its share of pain for every pilgrim. And sometimes we’re weary pilgrims. And sometimes our weariness seems to cloud our vision for tomorrow. But, in this moment, God will give us what we need. You and I may not receive a long-term plan with all of the details which we might desire, but we will find in Christ the needed strength for today. We can take our next step, however small it may seem, with confidence in our faithful Shepherd and King.

3. We ought to give our best to the responsibilities, and the opportunities, which have been put before us. For most of us, these will not include a professional sports career. But that’s O.K., and our individualized vocations play out according to God’s perfect design and plan. Our job is simply to run well, and to finish well. As R.C. Sproul used to say, “Right now counts forever.” And I’ll quote Mr. Knox just one more time: “A win is a win. We treat every game every week like it’s the biggest game.”

I’m so humbled by the fact that God has blessed me with so many positive examples of faith and fortitude. I find them in the Scriptures, and I find them on the football field. Thank you, Dawson. May we who are the blessed recipients of such spiritual encouragement find the grace and the grit that we need to go the distance for the One who is the Hero of all heroes.

And, friend, may you never forget: You have your own race to run, so run well!

Pastor Charles

In August of 2008, Eileen, Josh, and I were able to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. Toward the end of that amazing performance by the British Armed Forces and other international military bands, “Auld Lang Syne” is traditionally sung and celebrated by the crowd. For our family, it is a night we will never forget.
 
O.K., admittedly, in my title for today’s blog posting, I tweaked a word in the song title. Just to be clear, Robert Burns wrote the poem in 1788. “Auld Lang Syne” was the title then, and it was set to music eleven years later. If my research is correct, Mr. Burns based this specific piece of poetry on an old Scottish folk song – likely dating back to the Middle Ages. “Old Long Since” would be a more literal translation, while “for the sake of old times” would be a loose capturing of the essence of the meaning of the poem and the song.
 
“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” The question is, of course, rhetorical. Should we forget about our old friends? Never! It is a good thing to reminisce with fondness, and to be grateful for our delightful memories of happy times spent with the people with whom we’ve enjoyed different seasons of life. For auld lang syne!
 
But I changed “syne” to “shine,” and that’s what I’d like to talk with you about today. When you and I remember days gone by, do we first and foremost remember the faithfulness of our God? The Word captures it like this: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). That one verse speaks volumes to us about how we should view the past in the distinct light of the future. And, in Christ, our future is a glorious one!
 
1. Even the most difficult dimensions of our past chapters fall under the umbrella of Christ’s enduring grace. All of us have made tragic mistakes. We have sinned and fallen short. And, sometimes through no fault of our own, each one of us has experienced the painful realities of life on this fallen and broken planet. But that’s not where the story ends! That’s not where it ended for God’s people in Isaiah’s day, and it’s not where it ends for us. God is writing our story, and it’s a great story of a great redemption: “It is finished!”
 
2. In His ceaseless kindness to us, God shares with us His matchless beauty, so that we may attract others to Christ. Here’s the amazing part: we can expect that all kinds of people will come to know the Lord, to fear His name, and to worship Him along with us. You and I will never be perfect witnesses on His behalf, but His Spirit – the Holy Spirit who is already upon us, and in fact living in us – will bless the words of our mouths and the work of our hands for His glory.
 
3. Though we know not the specifics in regard to our future journey, a final glory in Christ is already ours! His eternal goodness is our present possession – already. Yes, our “hope” is in Christ, but that is not the same thing as wishful thinking. To the contrary, Biblical “hope” is the absolutely confident expectation that is already ours. The Truth is ours, here and now! In the words of Charles Wesley: “Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”
 
I’m so glad that the Light has come. Because of Jesus, and only because of Him, you and I have a bright future which we can embrace with cheerful expectancy. All of the glories of this earth will fade away … but Christ will shine forever! And, in Him, so shall we!
 
“And there’s a hand, my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.” In my heart of hearts, I can still hear the bagpipes. To one and all, Happy New Year!
 
Pastor Charles

It’s a fascinating time of year. These shorter days and longer nights give us the perfect context in which to think about how our amazing God keeps things alive – even when you and I see no evidence of life. God does it with varieties of plants and grasses like you find here on the golf courses in Middle Tennessee. We know that what now looks brown will soon look lush and green. It’s a divine promise as old as Genesis 8:22. And God does it with certain intriguing animals that He has made, like the Alaskan Brown Bears which roam much farther to our north. In fact, that particular species has been designed by our Creator to hibernate for up to eight months.

Friends, there is wonder in the things that we can see, and there’s even more wonder in the things that we can’t see. Today what I’m encouraging you to do is to simply consider the always wonderful, though sometimes mysterious, ways of our God. Winter is our annual reminder that there’s more going on in God’s world than meets the eye.

Here’s what I mean. In winter, there is plenty of life, but much of it is below the surface. It’s invisible, at least in large measure. That hibernating bear may appear to us to be sleeping, but he is very much alive!

Some seasons of our spiritual lives feel very wintry, if you will allow me to apply that same term. Maybe it feels like a long time since we really saw God working or moving in tangible ways. Maybe we don’t feel as passionate or motivated to worship (or pray, or study, or share the gospel) like we have at other times. Maybe we aren’t sensing our purpose or mission with the clarity or urgency that we desire. Or maybe we’re struggling simply to find the joy in Christ that we once knew. For the human soul, such wintry seasons can be exceptionally trying. But, when we find ourselves in one of those places, you and I can remind ourselves that we are in very good company.

What was it like for Noah to wait decades for rain, not really even sure what he was waiting for? What was it like for falsely-accused Joseph, forsaken by his brothers and now forgotten by his friends, to languish in prison? What was it like for God’s people, without any new word from the Lord for 400 years, to try to hold onto some shred of hope?

Sooner or later, spiritually wintry seasons happen to all of us. They are part of our growth in grace. They help us let go of earthly comforts, and they help us cling more tightly to the only One who can grant us the security for which we long. Even in our questioning and uncertainty, we’re learning to trust our God. I don’t have to tell you that this is not an easy leg of our journey.

Wintry seasons also help us learn to love more fully. In the long nights, we learn (albeit slowly) to love God with more of our whole selves. We also learn to love others more sincerely. We would not learn these critical lessons if every season of our lives felt as easy-breezy as a summer vacation at our favorite beach. What I want you to see is that spiritually wintry seasons are not sinister plots by God to rob us of life’s pleasures, but they in fact lie at the very heart of all of the best things that He is accomplishing in us. We may feel like we’re stuck in some sort of spiritual hibernation, but we can rest assured that every follower of Christ – everyone who is “in Christ” – is always very much alive! Our life comes from the Vine – from the Head of the body – and He is very much alive and well!

If you’re interested in reading further, I’ll offer just a few simple suggestions to help you make the most of a spiritually wintry season …

1. Write down your thoughts. All of them. As you put pen to paper, you’ll have more insight into what God may be doing in you right now.

2. Tell God about all your wintry feelings. Admittedly, you’re not giving Him any new information, but I think you’ll find it helpful to know that He is aware of what you’re feeling (or not feeling) right now.

3. Share your wintry feelings with a trusted friend. I can almost guarantee you that your friend will be able to relate to you on this subject. This will deepen your relationship, and it will make your load feel a little lighter.

4. Pay attention to your physical health. Don’t forget that God has made us body, soul, and spirit. We can’t neglect any part of us and expect positive results. The start of new year – it’s five days away – is a great time to initiate and nurture a new healthy habit. (For me, I’m drinking more water than ever before, flavored with a little lemon when possible, and I’ve nearly forsaken the habitual Diet Cokes.)

5. Read and pray the Psalms. Say the words out loud. Use God’s hymnal to speak words of praise even if you’re not feeling it at the moment. Sometimes our feelings follow our having done the right thing – and giving praise to God is always the right thing.

6. Confess any unforgiveness that may be trapped inside you. That person who wounded you – do your best to let it go. The Lord knows all about it. In the end, you can trust Him to administer perfect justice. By the way, aren’t you glad that Jesus came to give us grace and not just justice?

7. Even if it’s cold outside, get out and take a long walk. Do it regularly. As you walk, look around carefully. Even in the dead of winter, you will see signs of life that you hadn’t noticed before, and this will bring nourishing light to your soul.

Wintry feelings may abound for you right now, but God’s got this. He is Lord of every season. He is faithful, and good, and here.

Pastor Charles