Wet Willy

Jessica and I were playing around the other day. She thought she was big enough to give her dad a wet willy (Sticking a wet finger in my ear). I said, "Jessica, you know how this is going to end. I am not going to get a wet willy and you are going to get hurt." That was not a deterant. She continued to try to stick her wet finger in my ear. Ten minutes later my words became true. Jessica was laying on the ground hurt and my ear was dry. It seemed that the warning was not enough. It took my words actually happening for her to learn. I call this the pain approach to knowledge; pain is required to learn something.

Having three children with different personalities helps me to understand that not everyone learns the same way. Jeremy is a kid that will normally just do what he is told. Not always the first time, but usually the words of his father are enough to move him to action. Jessica needs to find out for herself that what she is being told is right. She often learns through the school of hard knocks. Jenna just does what ever she sees her brother and sister doing. She examines the situation and makes a decision according to what bubby or sissy are doing. Of the three, my personal preference is Jeremy who just does what I tell him. It seems like the consequences of his life are less because he simply follows directions. Jessica, on the other hand, learns things the hard way and ends up with some bumps and bruises along the way. Jenna has the possibility of taking the wrong advice from the wrong person.

As you begin this New Year reading the word of God, you may read with the mental framework of Jeremy, Jessica, or Jenna. Maybe you will believe what you read because the Word says it. Maybe you will believe or not because you have life experience, or maybe you will believe or not because a so called expert tells you what is correct. It is interesting that Luke gives us the reason why he wrote this Gospel. He says to Theophilus that he wrote these things, "So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:4) Now we don't know who Theophilus was or even where he was from. But evidently, Theophilus was questioning whether or not the things he had been taught about Jesus were true. Maybe he had heard rumors or even gotten his hands on an early manuscript of Mark or Matthew. But were these words true? Should he believe what he had been taught? Furthermore, how would he live because of the things that he knew?

We don't know how the mind of Theophilus worked but we probably can figure out our personality. As you read the word of God this year: you will either read it and believe because it is the word of God, read it and wait until you experience something that will cause you to believe it, or read it and follow what someone else tells you. There are probably many other options but these are the ones that affect me the most. People come into my office facing problems or needing guidance many times a week. Some of them hear the word of God and change their behavior. Others hear the word and run it through their personal experience to determine what they want to do. And some just follow the direction that I give or the advice of someone else. Can I say that I get the greatest joy out of seeing someone who hears the words of scripture and takes it at face value because it is God's word. Usually, these people walk out with great joy and a changed life. Those who need experience to believe are often frustrated because God's word does not match up with their past. They have no reference point and often have a difficult time making changes because of experience. Finally, there are some who just follow someone else's advice. My words, the words of their family, or the words of a co-worker are what will impact them. They will make their decision based upon who they think has the best advice. Sometimes the advice takes them toward God and sometimes the advice takes them further into pain and suffering.

Someone once said, "God said it, I believe it, and that is enough!" I wish that is the way that it worked for everyone. But maybe this year we can all strive to follow this statement as we read God's word. What would happen if we actually tried living by the written word of God? How would our lives be different if we just did what God said? Lots of people like to argue about the written word; my plan is to follow it. I want to take what I read this year and apply it to my life. So let me challenge you to try it first. Before you get the advice of a friend or family member, before you experience the opposite and find out that the word is correct, before you follow the wrong person down the wrong road, why not live by the word first. Try living by what you read and see how your life is changed. Maybe, just maybe, you will have the best year ever.

In His Love,
Pastor Aaron

Merry Christmas

For those of you who have been in our home, you know that Christmas is a big deal to us. Peggy and I love to prepare for Christmas. We have five trees decorated, a christmas village, and snowmen everywhere. Christmas is important to us and it is important for a number of reasons. Let me give you a few. It is so much fun to celebrate Christmas with our children. Decorating our house is just part of the preparation. Putting presents under the tree reminds of the expectation of what is to come. Reading the Christmas story on Christmas morning prepares our hearts. And opening presents with a flury of flying paper gives us joy.

We also  love to have big Christmas parties or friends over for dessert during Christmas. We will fill this holiday serving our guests and making them feel at home. We love to have our family in and share a meal together. People are a part of this special season. It is fun playing Christmas games, exchange cheap presents (Some of them are things that you didn't want any longer) and laughing together as friends and family. Christmas is not a time to be alone but to fill our home with special people.


If Christmas is only parties, decorations, friends, and family then we missed the true joy of this special holiday. God gave us a gift. That gift came wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Jesus is the reason for Christmas. I know that some of you have heard that Christmas was really the celebration of the sun god, that christmas trees were a pagan ritual, and that December 25th really isn't Jesus' birthday.  If you want to use those excuses to keep you from celebrating the birth of the greatest gift known to man, that is your choice. But for me and my house, December 25th is the birth of the King of the universe. On Christmas, I celebrate the true Son of God becoming flesh. Every tree in our house with a star or angel on top is a reminder of the angelic anouncement saying, "God is with us!" And every gift represents the greatest gift mankind ever received: Salvation came to man! The baby wrapped up and placed in a manger is my Savior.


It is Christmas; the birthday of the King. So put up a tree, have some friends over, tell the Christmas story, buy some cheezy gifts, throw a ham in the oven, sing a Christmas carol or two, and celebrate the greatest gift you will ever receive. Merry Christmas!


In His Love,
Pastor Aaron

Cup Half Full?

A number of years ago, I had a friend that was the eternal pessimist. The minute I ran into him he began telling me about all the bad things that were happening, what was wrong with his life, and what was wrong in the world. Actually, this person was more of an acquaintance that seemed to cling to me like a leach. The funny thing is he was also a pastor. I told Peggy that every time I was around him I felt like a vampire had sucked me dry. Thirty minutes with this guy and I was a shriveled up prune.

The problem with this pastor friend is that he was a glass half empty kind of guy. He looked at his life, his family, his ministry, and the world through a lens that only showed him the negatives. He never saw the good in anything or anyone. He only saw what was wrong and he was more than willing to share his pessimism. Now, I am a fixer at heart and wanted to help this guy to change his perspective. So I made it my mission to point out a good thing for every bad thing he mentioned. I was bound and determined to change his way of thinking. Do you know what happened? He stopped hanging around me. I guess he didn't like my optimism. 

Thanksgiving is a time to see the glass as half full. There is not a doubt in my mind that we can all come up with things to gripe about. There are plenty of bad thing in this world and in our lives that we could spend our time focusing on. But why? What good does complaining do? Do we just like to be down in the mouth? Or is it our goal to make everyone around us miserable too? It seems to me like seeing the glass as half empty is a futile and a waste of time. I have yet to see my complaining amount to any change. But my thankfulness makes a difference.

Here is what I believe. The main thing that is changed, by my seeing the glass half empty or the glass half full, is me. The world is not changed by my perspective. My complaining doesn't make the world any better. And my thankfulness doesn't make the world any worse. But my attitude does affect me. If I want to go around complaining, griping, and whining, I will just feel miserable because of my attitude. I may even make others miserable in the process. But, if I decide to be thankful in any and every situation, I will feel better and maybe improve the quality of another person's day. Hebrews 12:28 says, "Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful!" As Christians, we are going to inherit a kingdom set up by our heavenly father. And that kingdom cannot be shaken. I have a reason to be thankful. I get a heavenly home.

I wonder if we will celebrate Thanksgiving in heaven? If we did, some may still have things to complain about. "Turkey for the 1,247th year in a row! Why can't we have ham! No devil's food cake!" Hopefully not. How about this Thanksgiving we get truly thankful for what we have, who we are spending it with, and what the future holds. The glass if half full! Maybe the glass if overflowing because Jesus loves you. And I think that is more than enough reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Aaron

Stinky Feet

I am sitting at my desk this morning laughing about my stinky feet story yesterday. At least my shoes don't smell today. The room seems fresh and clean and my feet are still present. LOL! If you don't understand this story then you must have missed church yesterday. It was good for a laugh and hopefully a point. There are lots of people that really feel cruddy spiritually. Most of those people don't know what to do about it. We have the answer and his name is Jesus.

What will you do to clean up a stinky world this week? That was really the point yesterday. I don't have to tell anyone that this world stinks some of the time. You don't have to look very far to find smelly people doing stinky things. While watching the news this morning, I saw where a 13 year old Ohio teen was found bound and gagged in the basement of a man's home. Her three family members are still missing. Stinky! A hit and run killed five bikers and injured six others and the driver has not been found. Stinky! Resuable shopping bags found to contain lead. Bags are from China: suprised? Stinky! Stinky! Stinky! This world is pretty stinky some times. What can I do about it?

The problem with these stories is that I feel helpless and unable to make a difference. I can't make the creep that kidnapped the girl, the hit and run driver, or the company in China that made the bags change. These are big issues. So often, the stink seems so stinky that I don't feel that I can make a difference. It is as if the world is made of limberger cheese. And in these three situations maybe I can't. But let's reframe our thoughts for a minute. I may not be able to change the world but I can change the world for one person. Think about that for a minute. I may not be able to change the world but I can change the world for one person. Jesus didn't change the world when he washed the disciple's feet. He only changed the world for twelve men. Funny thing is, only one of those men even recorded the event for future generations. Jesus bowed his knee to twelve men and washed their stinky feet. In that moment, there were only twelve men who felt the cool, refreshing water. And the service those men received helped them to go out and serve others.

What will you do this week to wash someone's feet? Some of you may want to plan something. Maybe you know someone who can't afford groceries this week and you will pick them up a sack or two. It could be a single mom that needs baby sitting for one evening so she can get some work done. There are lots of opportunities at the Emmaus Center, the Salvation Army, or even with members of our congregation that could use some help. Or maybe this week you just need to walk around with your eyes open to opportunities. There are feet everywhere that need to be washed. Don't pull off a shoe but give a helping hand. Seek out an opportunity or see an opportunity and respond. Bend a knee and serve someone who has a need.

Missional Toe Jam

I was driving down the road the other day and noticed a bunch of trash along side the road. There were plastic pop bottles, papers, grocery bags, and some fast food cartons strung along the road side. First, it looked like someone cleaned out their back seat. But the farther I drove, the more trash I found. There was so much stuff that the back seat would have had to be full. I don't know what happened, but the beautiful landscape had been covered with filth. Now someone would have to help get that trash picked up or it would blow around covering more and more of God's creation. But who would pick it up? Whose job is it to solve the problem of littering along the side of the road? The street department? The police? The owner of the property? Who will remove the rubbish from the roadside and make the world a more beautiful place?

If the only problem we faced was garbage in the gutters wouldn't life be wonderful. But is seems that the struggles people face far outweigh the trash along the roadside. Let's face it, the world is a little stinky some times. Scratch that, it stinks a lot!The world can smell like feet on a hot and sweaty day. Pack a lot of garbage together and it starts to stink. All the problems this world produces creates a stink. Pack your feet into a pair of hot shoes all day and they start to stink as well. Jesus had an answer. In John 13, Jesus gets up from a meal with the disciples, takes off their shoes, and washes the feet of the men he had been training. The bible says, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love...Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with the towel." I want you to think about the stink for a moment. Dirty feet, covered with the dung, dirt, and grime of 1st century roads. Feet only covered with sandals that had walked with Jesus for three years are now cleaned by the first born of all creation. Think of what the water smelled like as Jesus washed the dirt and crud off their feet.

When the event is over, Jesus tells the disciples that they should go and do likewise. Not meaning to literally wash people's feet, but to love people enough to care for their needs. It was like their mission was to help a stinky world not stink so bad. That was the mission that Jesus called the disciples and us to--To stop the stink by serving the world.

Here is a thought; is the stink this world produces the result of the Church not washing feet? Has the church of Jesus Christ grown so inward and uncaring that the world is smelling worse than ever before? I don't have an answer to the world's problems, but I do know what Jesus calls the church to do. He says, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one an other's feet." God wants us, the Church, to help stinky people not stink so bad. He wants the church to serve in a way that will make the world a better place.

On Sunday, November 14th I am beginning a new series called "Missional Toe Jam, Bowing a knee to a World that needs Christ." We are going to spend some time dealing with God's call to the church to be servants. We can't solve all the worlds stinkiness but we can do something about some of it. Jesus calls the church to serve in stinky places. Will we take up the call? Will we pick up the trash? Will we take care of some of the stink? Will we wash the world's feet?

Hippie Sunday

What a hippie party we had yesterday! Cooking out, playing games, listening to 60's music. It was a blast from the past. I had hoped a few of you would wear tie dye, but that crowd of red, blue, and yellow made me feel like we were at a Christian Woodstock. It was 'groovy man.' Thanks to all of you that came, cleaned up, brought food, and planned a great day.

Well, my summer Tie Dye Series has ended. It is always bittersweet ending a sermon series. I am ready to move to a new subject but I wonder if anyone has learned anything. Is there something else I should have covered or maybe I covered too much. It is one of the hard things to know as a pastor. How much is too much? I could second guess myself every day if I allowed it but the series is over and it is time to move on; or is it?

I tried to answer all your questions, but there were some that were short answers and not a full sermon. So I thought I would take the next few blogs and pick up on some of the subjects that just were not quite long enough for a full messages. Let's take a quick look this morning.

One of the questions I received was about Jesus staying at the temple while his parents left. The story is in Luke 2:41-52. If you remember, Jesus' parents went to celebrate the passover in Jerusalem. They were there with a bunch of friends and family. When time came for them to leave, Jesus did not go with them. After a day of travel, they found out that Jesus was not with them; Panic! They returned to Jerusalem and spent three days looking for their 12 year old boy. They finally found Jesus in the temple. The question was this, "If Jeremy was missing three days, how could you not consider that being disobedient. Doesn't that mean that Jesus was disobedient (As is every child). But that would mean that Jesus was not without sin." Great question. Let me begin with this; yes, if Jeremy is gone for three days and did not tell us where he was he would have been disobedient and will probably be grounded until his 33rd birthday. But if Peggy and I left him some place that would be a whole different story.

The story of Jesus goes a little deeper. Families traveled in packs back in the first century for safety. The men traveled in the front group and the women brought up the rear. Boys 13 and up traveled with the father and boys 12 and under traveled with the mother. That was just the custom of the times. It is interesting that Luke points out that Jesus is 12. He is between the age of being with his mother or his father. It was a time of transition. Jesus is becoming an adult in the Jewish world. So the group leaves and Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary and Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph. Now, I am sure that Joseph and Mary felt that Jesus had been disobedient. You know this state parents get in, It is called worried mad; worried about their safety and mad as a hornet. Mary says, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." Jesus responds, "Didn't you know that I would be in my father's house?" (Aaron's rendition) They left him behind and he went to the best place of safety; His father's house.

Do you need to run to a place of safety? When you feel lost and alone there is one place that is always your home. It is your father's house. You are always welcome, Dad has invited you to return, there is someone to greet you, and a family that loves you. If you find yourself lost and in need of some direction, come to the Father's house this Sunday. God is waiting for you and your family would love to see you there.

Crack Open a Fortune Cookie

My kids were watching a television show the other day that caught my attention. It is about a bunch of teenagers who are on a comedy show. The star of the show was having a difficult time making decisions. When someone asked him a question, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a fortune cookie, and did whatever the fortune said. It was a cute story line that led to a lot of laughs.

What if it was that easy to get the answers to life? All you had to do was crack open a fortune cookie, read the answer, and do what it said. Think about it for a moment. If you were deciding on whether you should buy a new car or not. Open the cookie and it says, "Red is your lucky color." The car is red, it must be a sign from God. Should you propose to your girlfriend or not? Open a fortune cookie and it says, "It is time to start training for a marathon." Buddy, run for your life. Or maybe you wonder if it is time to quit your job and retire. Open the fortune cookie and it says, "Take some time to relax, you deserve it." Cash in your Roth IRA and move to Florida.

I read a story about a young man that used his bible much like the guy in the television show used fortune cookies. He was wanting some direction in life and wondered what God wanted him to do. So he decided to use the "flop your bible open and stick your finger on a verse" method of discernment. He flopped the bible open and it fell to Matthew. He stuck his finger on a verse and it was Matthew 27:5, "Judas threw his money in the temple, went away and hanged himself." "What does that mean?" the young man said. So he decided to try again. The bible fell open to Luke and he stuck his finger on verse 10:37 and read, "Jesus said, 'Go and do likewise.'" Surely this couldn't be. So the young man decided to try this once again. The bible fell open to the book of John. They young man put his finger on a passage from John 13:27 which read, "What you are about to do, do quickly."

It's funny, the bible has so many verses that you can make the bible say about anything you want if you try hard enough. It is called proof texting; taking a verse out of context so you can do what you want. Jesus says in John 10:16 that he has sheep that are not of this sheep pen. One fellow argued with me that this text tells us that there is life on other planets. That's out there, no pun intended. I also had a debate over the same verse with my great cousin who said Jesus was speaking of the Muslims, Buddhists, and all other world religions with this statement. It just makes more sense to me that Jesus was talking about gentiles, who were not included under the old covenant, and who needed a Savior, too.

So, how do you decide what God wants you to do if you can't flop your bible open or just pick a verse? Good question! I'm so glad you asked it. There are some verses that are a little more cut and dry. "Thou shall not kill" is kind of hard to get around. It is impossible to find a verse that condones adultery. And as for those little white lies that really don't hurt anyone, well, I think God says that liars go to the lake of fire. It's in Revelation 21:8 and lumps liars with those who practice magic arts and idolaters. Cut and dry things in the bible are still cut and dry. Even in an age of gray areas, the bible is still the heart of God for His people. But there are other issues that are not quite so easy. So let me give you some helpful steps in the process of discernment.

1. Find out what the bible says: You can know this, God does not change. If God didn't like a man coveting his neighbor's wife two thousand years ago, He still doesn't like it today. The principles in scripture are for your benefit, not so God can get what he wants. Divide the bible into sections. What does Jesus say about your situation? What does Paul say about your situation? What does the rest of the New Testament say about your situation? What does the Old Testament say about your situation? The Old Testament tells us to kill a son or daughter that is disobedient. If we did that, we would all be dead. But Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament have something to say about that and killing the kid is not it. (Even though you may want to at times.) Find a consensus in scripture on any situation you find yourself in.

2. Look for the Principles in Scripture: You will not find the answer to which car you should buy or if you should move into a different house; it just isn't there. But you may find some principles as to which car you should buy, how much you should spend, and if what you have is good enough for you. The bible may not tell you who you should marry, but it will tell you what kind of man or woman to look for in a mate. These are the principles in the scriptures that help to govern our lives. There are wonderful principles in Jesus' teachings and the book of Proverbs to live the best life now.

3. Ask for wisdom: James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault." God wants to give you wisdom in the decisions you are making. If you don't know what to do, just ask and God will reveal it to you in time. Now, let me say this, if God has already spoken, then don't expect him to speak again or to change his mind. Too often we know what God wants and we are looking for another way. Just do what God wants and life will get better.

4. Get Godly advice: This is a big one for me. I believe that God has put a number of people in our lives that can help us to make good decisions. My dad and mom have helped me so many times in life. I have had godly men and women instruct me time and time again. Professors, teachers, and friends have all been there with wisdom and guidance. BUT!!! Don't expect godly advise from ungodly people. They may have wisdom from past experience but that doesn't mean that their help will lead you to make a good, biblical decision.

I was out with my family the other day eating Chinese and opened a fortune cookie. I like what it said so well that I put it in my billfold for safe keeping. It read, "Happiness is not a reward, it's a consequence." When we make good, godly choices it sure helps us to be happy. So, quit making decisions based on your horoscope, fortune cookie, or friend at the bar and begin to seek Godly advice through God, His Word and His servants.