Tag: god

Aligning Heart and Mind with God’s Commands

Jesus sits on a hillside in Matthew 5 and begins speaking to what I imagine are a few thousand people. He starts with what we call the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And it continues from there.

In the next part of His message, Jesus talks about our Christian life and being salt and light.

Last week we talked about being salt and light to those around us. We need to add value to the people around us. But just as important as adding value is paying attention to how we add that value. Too much salt or too little salt can ruin a meal.

In the next portion of the passage, Jesus begins to break down the deeper meaning behind the blessings He mentioned earlier. He is speaking to people who are very familiar with the Jewish customs and laws God had given them over the previous 2,000 years. And this is where things probably started to feel strange to the crowd. Jesus takes the laws they already know and brings them to the next level. Not by adding more rules, but by moving beyond the outward actions and getting to the heart behind the law.

Take a look at this “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:17–20 NIV

By doing this, Jesus begins leading people down a path that not only brings them closer to God, but also disrupts the status quo the religious leaders had become comfortable with. I won’t go too far down that rabbit hole today, but it should make us stop and think about our own lives and leadership.

When we follow Jesus, He wants us to use our minds to understand and follow God’s commands, but He also wants our hearts to fully align with them.

For example, the law says not to murder. Jesus takes it deeper and says that even if we haven’t committed the physical act, hatred toward someone can still become sin within our hearts.

Wow. That’s an entirely different level.

Jesus wasn’t lowering the standard. He was revealing the true standard all along.

Another example is the commandment that says we are to have no other gods before the one true God. In ancient times, that often meant physical idols carved from wood, stone, or metal.

But after Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, we begin to realize an idol can be anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God.

Work can become an idol.
Money can become an idol.
Pride can become an idol.

Even good things can become idols when they take God’s place in our hearts. Jesus continually points us past outward appearances and into inward transformation.

That’s what makes His teaching both challenging and freeing at the same time. It’s challenging because Jesus cares about more than behavior—He cares about our motives, attitudes, and hearts.

But it’s also freeing because following Jesus is not about pretending to look righteous on the outside while falling apart on the inside. He wants to transform us from the inside out.

A question to ponder today:

As you follow Jesus in your daily life, are there areas where you follow the rules to the letter of the law, but your heart and mind are not fully aligned with God?

Are there places where outward obedience has replaced inward surrender?

Most of the time, this shows up not in whether we are breaking laws, but in how we treat people.

How we speak.
How we forgive.
How we love.
How we respond when we are hurt.

Just something to think about…

Is there such a thing as too much salt?

I love to cook. The two things that I love to cook most are eggs for breakfast and BBQ. Come to think about it, that’s all one really needs in life. A good breakfast and a whole lot of BBQ. Well, maybe coffee, we definitely  need coffee as well. A good cup of black coffee or a latte does set off the perfect breakfast. I have a sign hanging on the wall in my coffee room that says “All I need is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus” How true is that!

Whether or not you love to cook, everyone loves to eat. Think about a time when you sat down and had the perfect meal. Now answer these questions. Were you alone, with someone or with a group? Were you inside or outside in a perfect setting? What time of day was it what was the lighting like? Now that you’re there, what did you have to eat?

When we have a great meal, the eggs are just right and the bacon is the perfect crispness or maybe the brisket has the perfect smoke ring and the texture of the bark is perfectly pliable and it is has been kissed by smoke for over 12 hours. If you’re not drooling just a bit I think there may be something wrong with you at this point.

Now think about the worst meal you have ever had. Was it the atmosphere, the company, or was it in fact the food?

When I think back to some of my worst meals. It’s easier to think about the ones that I’ve cooked then the ones I’ve had eating out. They usually get off track by the seasonings. I can’t tell you how many dishes have been ruined by bad seasonings. If a dish is not seasoned enough, that’s a pretty easy fix. You can add some salt pepper or whatever you like, but if a dish is too salty, you can wreck the flavor and the evening in an instant. There are very very few ways to come back from a dish that’s too salty.

The same goes for our relationships and our lives. take a look at this passage out of Matthew chapter 5.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “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.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever wondered why Jesus wrote this? This passage is taken out of what’s called the sermon on the mount. It’s probably one of the most famous messages that Jesus gave and it’s chock full with important things we need live a productive daily life, and a productive Christian life. Because of the society that we live in and the culture that we are apart of, if you are a Christ follower, we will want to pay attention to what this small section of Jesus’ message teaches us.

I’m sure you’re aware of todays political climate (if you’re not then you’ve been living in a cave or under a rock) but you know that there is no shortage of opinions, facts, noise, and passion to just about any topic you want to bring up.

The question for the day is…….

If you are a Christ follower, what do you do with the information you have and where you live? Especially when just about any conversation you have is seasoned with political policy or opinion in one way or another. I need you to stay with me now. I am not talking about any policy or any opinion you may have no matter where you stand. I want to warn you, no encourage you, that in any relationship or conversation you have today or in the next month. The most important thing you have to watch for is the seasoning. The seasoning of Jesus in your attitude, opinion, and what you say to others.

I’ve talked a lot about salt but we are also light. When you think about light there are a couple of things to know. First, there is no such thing as dark. Dark does not exist. It is only the absence of light. You cannot add more dark to make a room darker but instead you take the light away. Think back to the great meal you had or a great conversation you had with a friend. Whether you realized it or not, light had a lot to do with it. If the light is right, say a candle lit romantic dinner then the mood is set. Sometimes a bright arena is brightly lit so the perfect pass can be seen and is caught for a touchdown. Lighting is very important. When you’re having a conversation or an important business deal you need to see the facial reactions to the one you are talking to. If it’s to dark you are left searching for what their reaction is and if you are talking to someone and there is a laser pointer in your eyes you are so distracted that the words of the conversation no longer matter. Right?

You know where I’m going here. The same goes for the light of your relationship with Jesus. If you’re too dim, the conversation the passion, and the point can often get missed. However, if you are too bright like a laser pointer, it doesn’t matter what you have to say or what you are about, the encounter will be ruined. Jesus is the light of the world and it is your job to adjust the brightness of your bulb in each relationship and conversation you are a part of. The bulb is not the light it is the carrier of the light. It’s not so people can see you but so they can see the light.

The same goes for food. Jesus is the salt of the world and you are the carrier. You may want to be the steak, the brisket, the soup, or the sauce. But really you are the chief of the flavor not the flavor itself. If you don’t have enough salt the conversation….oh excuse me, the soup will be bland and no one will want to listen to it or eat of it. The same is true if you come on too strong, the salt may be the perfect substance and there is nothing wrong with it but if you bring it on too strong it will ruin a dish and no one will care if your a great chef or not, you’ve lost a customer.

Be aware of your seasoning. Remember that you are only adding seasoning. Let it work for you and not against you. 

By the way, if your soup gets too salty you only have two choices. Throw it out or add a little sugar. That will counter act something that is too salty. Oh boy, you may have to be sweet to counter act your salty disposition. That sounds an awful lot like love……but that is for another time. 

The question for the day. 

Do you tend to be too bright and salty or too dim and bland when it comes to how others see Jesus in you?

Have a great day!

-Bryan

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What Do You Want? A Journey to Spiritual Growth

Often times as men, we move through life just fine. We have work to do, we have time to play, hunt, fish, and golf. But there are also times when we get to the end of whatever list we have made for ourselves or perhaps we just want to go off script and set the “To do” list aside.

It is times like these that we have trouble turning off the part of us that is the problem solver. As you may well know, men are very see a problem, solve the problem group of people. We are the type that when we are on the road and we put the destination into the gps and it says we are 4 hours and 36 minutes away, we don’t view that as just information but a challenge to be met and crushed at all costs. When we had small kids, my wife Joan and our kids Lauren and Jaron knew that it was a good idea to make sure you went to the bathroom and had water and snacks in the car. There were very few stops along the way because we had a challenge to beat. Who’s with me on this…

The same can be said for our spiritual lives. If you choose to follow the one true Christ, Jesus, you will find a new life that not only benefits you to a life forever with God but a new way to live that is not exactly natural. When we understand the free gift that God has given us we also can understand the relationship that also comes with it. As with any relationship we have, there are things that become our responsibility. When we care for our relationship with God we do so by giving it things like time, honor, dedication, and holiness.

There are several ways we can accomplish these things and today will only scratch the surface of what we could do.

For today let’s take a look at King David. One thing that has always stood out to me about David is that God calls him a man after his own heart. When we study David from his early days to fulfillment of his purpose, when he fell asleep (died), his life can be an encouragement, a warning, and even a roadmap to our destination. A life well lived.

The small piece of David’s life I want to look at is found in Psalm 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

This part of the Psalm is attributed to David’s life after his affair with a married woman and the death of his son that came from it. David was a great warrior and a great king. And through all of this he still understands his relationship with God. That his relationship is not a one way street. David strives to do the will of God, he strives to follow God’s commandments and live a holy life. But he is also realistic of where he stands in life.

Later on in the psalm he says this

9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

This is a good place to be. When we’ve made a mistake in life or even make an active choice to go against God. We don’t just quit, we don’t just throw our relationship away. No, we remember who God is and who we are. We ask for forgiveness and seek to stay in the relationship we love. David is willing to do the hard work and live a life of service. Striving to follow God’s commandments and live a holy life.

Here’s the real takeaway:

When we mess up spiritually, we don’t have to quit and walk away. We can return. We can repent. We can seek forgiveness and ask God to restore what sin damaged.

As men, we’re often taught (sometimes without realizing it) that we shouldn’t ask for much for ourselves. We think about providing. We think about helping. We think about what others need.

So let me ask you directly:

What do you want?

Not selfishly. Intentionally.

What do you need from God right now?

  • Do you need healing—physically or spiritually?
  • Do you need to change some habits and “man up” in the right way?
  • Are you stuck in a rut and tired of pretending it’s fine?
  • Do you need your heart softened again toward God?

If any of that describes you, you’re not alone.

Take a step. Don’t do life alone. Ask God to work in you—and let the men around you help carry the burden too. Because iron sharpens iron, and God wants you strong in the places you’ve been weak.

See you Wednesday.

-Bryan

Words Matter: Speaking Life or Destruction?

James 3 tells us this
“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

From pastors to politicians, we all have something to say, and the power of our words can resonate deeply within our communities and beyond. What are you saying? Are you offering up encouragement, uplifting those around you with positive messages and hope, or are you teaching something that is not encouraging or helpful? In a world that often feels divided, the impact of our communication becomes even more critical. It’s essential to reflect on whether our contributions foster understanding and compassion or if they inadvertently sow seeds of discord and negativity. As we express our thoughts, let’s strive to be voices of reason and empathy, ensuring that our messages promote healing and growth rather than division and despair.

James starts off talking about pastors but because we are all part of the church we need to be aware of who we are and what we are teaching each other.

In society today we seem to have more talkers than listeners. Maybe it’s always been this way but with the added “benefit????” Of social media everyone has a voice. You don’t even have to identify yourself, you can just click away anonymously and say anything you want. We have all been affected by it.

The challenge for you as a Christ follower and a man is how you will use the information you have. Our words matter. Will you uplift someone or bring them down? In today’s political climate, it’s easy to take extreme positions. We witnessed another attempt on the president’s life over the weekend. Many believe that the way people express their opinions influences this. I tend to agree.

As a man of God, you have a profound responsibility to tame your tongue. A couple of reasons to tame your tongue are; one, so you don’t diminish your voice. We all see those who seem to have the ability to speak before they think, often leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. When you engage in hasty speech, you risk undermining your credibility and creating barriers between you and others. You don’t listen to what they have to say, so why would anyone listen to what you have to say? Instead, take the time to listen before you speak, and measure your words carefully. By doing this, you cultivate an atmosphere of respect and understanding, allowing meaningful dialogue to flourish. Two, leave room for God to work. It’s easy for men to be problem solvers, yet not every situation you come across requires a solution from you. We have talked before about the difference between a problem to solve and a tension to manage. Sometimes, the most powerful action is to step back and allow divine intervention; after all, does every challenge truly need a human remedy? If so, does it have to be you? By practicing restraint and patience, you open the door for God’s wisdom to guide you and others toward resolutions that may exceed your own understanding.

So how do you tame your tongue? What do you do?

I would like to see what would happen if we started to say less. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you don’t speak up to things that are wrong, of course you do, but I want to encourage you to see if you speak less where God will speak for you.

Looking forward to our conversations!

-Bryan

Help me in my unbelief

In Mark 9 we read this

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

I have been thinking about this phrase that a desperate dad blurts out when Jesus tells him, if you believe it will happen……

All you have to do is believe

What I hear is alright, be a man, believe. But I do believe and I still have this problem.

I don’t know what your problem is but I know that a group of men I meet with on Wednesday mornings have problems. I don’t say this to call anyone out but to show the reality that no matter where we are we have problems. No matter where we have come from we have problems. No matter where we go tomorrow, we will have problems.

So my question for you today is this. When you come to the end of yourself, what are you going to do? Or what do you do now?

Do you man up and try to figure it out? Good

Do you man up and gut it out not letting anything get in your way? Good

But there is a time or will come a time when what you man up to do will not be enough. That’s my question for today.

What will it take to get past yourself and go to Jesus? If you read back in the chapter the disciples are arguing amongst themselves because they can’t get this demon to leave the boy. Jesus shows up and kicks out the demon and changes the life of this boy for the rest of his life. I wonder where he is now.

All of you are in one of two positions. You are either a disciple with a question because everything you’ve tried in your Christian faith doesn’t seem to produce the results you wanted.

Or, you are the father that can plainly see God at work in your life and there is a problem that you want to or have given to God but yet it doesn’t seem to change.

I invite you to talk to Jesus, give him the problem, listen like you have never listened before, (that includes prayer, fasting, reading your Bible, and listening/waiting)

It’s the praying, fasting, reading the Bible that is the easy part. It fits with who we are as men, action and results. It’s the waiting that we hate. Well at least I do.

I challenge you to this: Get better at the listening and waiting part. A part of this is in your manly relationships. First, if you don’t have a good manly friend get one (they need to be a Jesus follower). Second, as you spend time with God verbalize it with this friend, third, hang out with a group of godly guys.

Why do I say this? It will have the time go faster, it will help you sift out the bad ideas, and it will help you clarify what God is saying. As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

So, what’s your problem?

I look forward to seeing you all and talking with you because I know one thing. God is on the move and it is happing through you!

-Bryan