Worship Service at Good News Church (4.11.21)

Below is the order of service for Good News Church on Sunday, April 11, 2021

Call To Worship (Kim): Good morning and welcome to Good News Church! Last week we celebrated the risen Christ and his victory over the grave, which he extends to us. We are one in spirit through Jesus. We get to worship him together as His church. Psalm 95 says: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” The Lord is worthy of our praise, so let’s stand and sing and worship him now!

Songs: “10,000 Reasons” and “Great Are You, Lord”

Confession and Assurance (Kim):

This next hymn “Come Thou Fount” contains a key phrase, “tune my heart.” Because of our sin-nature, we all end up chasing the wrong things and getting our hearts out of tune. As we sing this hymn of grace and remembrance, ask for God’s help to refocus your heart, or, as it says in Jeremiah 24:7, to return to God with your whole heart.  Sing this hymn and reflect on its words.

Song: “Come Thou Font” 

Offertory (Kim): We are going to continue our worship with the giving of God’s tithes and our offerings.  As you can see from the screens there are many ways to give. If you’re visiting with us today, please don’t feel obligated to give. God promises us that He will never leave us or forsake us, in Psalm 13:4-5 it says, “But I trust in your unfailing love. / I will rejoice because you have rescued me. / I will sing to the Lord / because he is good to me.” As the giving baskets go by and we continue to sing, remember that God has rescued us and He is given us everything we have.

As the ushers come forward, let’s pray. God you are good, help us to set our eyes on all that you have given us and help us to remember where we are going and what you have done.  Help us to keep our eyes on heaven.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song: “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”

Message: Exodus 13: God’s Grace Is Enough

Benediction: From 1 Peter 5:10-11: 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Worship Service at Good News Church (2.21.21)

Below is the order of service for Good News Church on Sunday, February 21st, 2021:

Call To Worship (Kim):

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Good News Church. Today we reflect on our journey to the cross as we focus on our sin and weakness and look to Jesus. As we press into this time of anticipation we recognize that though God is high above us, he reaches down to us and cares for us. When the church gathers, we bring our lives and stories. The scriptures remind us that no matter what our heartache is, we can bring it before the Father. 

As it says in Psalm 126:5-6:

“Those who sow with tears, will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” 

I love that image and know many of you need that today. Stand and sing about the love the Father has for us!

Song: (How Deep the Father’s Love for Us)

Confession and Assurance (Kim):

It may seem odd that we sing about something like blood. But the wonderful irony of the gospel is that Jesus’ blood cleanses us from the stain of sin. Let’s sing of the freedom given through Christ’s sacrifice. 

Songs: (Nothing but the Blood of Jesus) and (Waymaker)

Offertory (Kim):

God provides for our every need… He has done that by giving to us what the world could never give, and that is Jesus Christ himself.  Whether you have much or little, remember that if you are Christian here today, then you have been given life!  If you are new with us, feel no pressure to give.  As you can see from the screens, there are many ways to give.  As the ushers come forward, let’s pray. 

God, thank you that you have given us all we need in Christ.  Allow us to give knowing you provide for us.  Take these offerings today to advance your kingdom.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song: (Shadow of the Glorious Cross)

Message: Exodus 7: A Hardened Heart

Benediction: From 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Ministry is not the Basin

Yesterday I hiked Beehive Basin in Big Sky, Montana. The fact that I just typed that sentence blows my mind, but here I am! 

My two brothers and I hiked the first half of the 6.6 mile trip in movie-set conditions, the October Montana snow providing a beautiful coat of fresh powder everywhere. The views from every angle were breathtaking, and with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet along the way, the views got better and better with every step. 

Google-worthy Lone Peak makes appearances nearly the entire hike, providing a North Star effect, which proved to be somewhat helpful for me, as I was admittedly nervous about the hike. 

With encouragement from my brothers, several breaks along the way, and the reminder of the payoff the basin would bring, I slogged forward. I reached for my scripture journal frequently; I prayed; I stopped a lot; and then we made it. And it was awesome. 

But ministry is not the basin, people. And I’m not talking about paid church staff ministry. I’m talking about the loving-your-neighbor ministry we are called to live out every day. 

Ministry is the hike back to the car. 

My focus on the hike yesterday was squarely on the basin and the basin alone. I just wanted to make it; I wanted to see it, to feel it. And I’m guilty of this in my own Christian walk, both personally and in my outreach. There is a tendency to focus on the conversion, the experience, the thing! But what then? 

Because like the snow that gets hit by sun, life can get pretty messy. And that was our experience on the hike back. The beautiful powder and picturesque trail was replaced with a muddy and wet path. The last mile was like hiking through brownie mix. 

The longer I’m in ministry, the more I realize that so many people feel like they are left on the hike back to the car--but all by themselves. 

We are not created to do life alone. Our final mile felt like forever, but once I realized that it wasn’t just my shoes that weren’t doing the job, it became fun taking turns slipping and sliding everywhere. At one point, mostly out of exhaustion, I gave up on traditional methods and decided to shoe-ski my way down a decline. I didn’t plan it; it just sort of happened. Luckily I didn’t fall, but if I did, I knew I would have help--or at the very least someone to take my picture and laugh at me and with me. 

The basin is beautiful. But how much of a hike is spent at the basin? Not much, my friends. 

What I pray for you, and what I pray for myself, is that I can continue to die to myself and grow in my love for neighbors and friends. As it says in Galatians 6:9-10,

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Amen! 

Grace Abounds

Grace has been chasing me my entire life. 

For the first 25 years of my life, I did not have an understanding of grace. I was a slave to guilt. Because I always wanted to be right, and because I always wanted to be justified, I never left room for grace. 

But as I entered the workforce and began pursuing my wife, I started to find out that living without grace wasn’t really that awesome. I regret so much the way I talked to my middle school students and my girls’ basketball team. I wish I could go back in time and just love those kids rather than yelling at them.  

All the while, my wife was watching and praying for me. She modeled grace in ways that still make me shake my head in disbelief. She offered grace in the way she listened to me. She offered grace in the way she talked to me. Kimberly Summer Morton, now Kim Pollock, introduced me to grace. She presented a glimpse of the grace Jesus was going to shower me with once I connected the dots.    

One Sunday, we attended Biltmore Baptist Church, as we did every weekend back in the early 2000s. The sermon was on John 5, when Jesus heals the disabled man by the pool after asking the man if he wanted to get well, which by all accounts, was an absurd question. Or so I thought. 

At the end of the sermon, our pastor came back to the question—”Do you want to get well today?”—and repeated it, lowering his voice to a whisper. 

It destroyed me. 

I put my face in my hands and wept. No, I bawled. I grew up in the Episcopal church, so this was not exactly something I was accustomed to. Excluding my time in the nursery as a toddler, this was definitely the first time I had ever cried in church. 

Grace had tracked me down. I did want to get well! (And I haven’t stopped crying in church since then.)

To take it one step further: I needed to get well. I was enslaved. I was following a works-based, perfectionist-seeking Christ who wagged his finger at me every time I did something wrong.  

Grace had set me free. And how precious did that grace appear!

Next thing I knew, my Bible started to change. Rather than reading about an “angry Jesus,” all these new passages about grace started showing up. Not only were these passages encouraging, they were also necessary. For without grace, there is no understanding of the cross. Without grace, there is no concept of unmerited or ill-deserved love. Without grace, our infinite, indescribable, all-powerful creator God is reduced to a tally-keeping dictator. 

Grace transfers the focus of our faith from us to Him. As it says in Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace,” so my performance is no longer at stake, despite the temptation to think it is. Christ’s work on the cross has replaced any notion of my self-proclaimed importance.

But sin still abounds in my heart. Shame keeps me from coming boldly to the throne. Lust rips at my pursuit of purity; bitterness tugs on my conscience. Anger rises when I’m disregarded, and jealousy surfaces in the face of competition. 

Yet despite my shortcomings, I am justified by His grace. I no longer move at the pace of perfection; instead, God directs me at the pace of grace.   

I am such a sinner. But where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. How sweet the sound!

Race and Brotherly Love

I have nothing particularly significant or insightful to say about racial reconciliation. I have largely leaned on other folks for their input and guidance.

That said, I have seen and read and listened to so many accounts of black friends, former students, and former teammates, and I feel compelled to write my own thoughts, as ill-informed or incomplete as they may be. Because the more I listen, the more my heart is broken. These are people I’ve known for a long time, and I’ve never known their stories. Each of their stories is similar but with so many gross and horrifying differences.

Over the last few weeks I have felt a growing sense of shame for not asking more questions about these experiences. And as a Christian and a friend, I have to take more seriously the words in James 1:19, which says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”

Aside from listening, though, the love of Christ should move me toward brotherly love, which Paul addresses in so many of his letters to the church. 

In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes,

“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

And in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, he says,

“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.”

Admittedly, Paul’s audience in Colossae and Thessalonica is vastly different from our current day climate, and Paul was not writing about racial reconciliation. I understand the importance of context when it comes to interpreting scripture. Yet I also see the need for common sense when applying biblical texts to our lives. 

What Christian can read Paul’s words and not be moved toward loving his black friends “more and more”? After all, the black community has been continuously pleading for help. So we must listen. Listening is hard, and white people have not listened well. 

And it gets harder: James also reminds us to be “slow to speak.” Note: If you are white and you have already fought my words in this short article, you struggle with being slow to speak. And that’s OK. I do, too. I like to interrupt and engage and have back-and-forth. But as my wife says to me when she’s really annoyed with me: “Maybe not now.”

And then comes maybe the hardest part: action. 

What I’ve struggled the most with is a lack of action. What can I do, and what can I do now?, I’ve asked over the last month. 

My urge is to act, to fix. And if you are a believer, and if you are motivated to love God and love others, you likely want to act as well. That’s good!

But how does one fix something he doesn’t understand?  

Black families have waited and prayed and waited and prayed. And if you are not a person of color, like me, perhaps it’s time for us to resist the urge to talk, to lead, or to fix the situation. 

Maybe, for once, we simply show up and shut up on behalf of our black friends.  

There will be time to act. 

For now, we seek to understand. We listen. And above all, we pray. How should we pray? 2 Corinthians 13:11 says,

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Restoration, encouragement, love, peace. These are not words of social justice. These are words of the Bible. 

Let us take heed of them.

Celebrating the God of Paradox

The Bible can be complicated; it is 66 books but one story; it is part poetry, part narrative; part history; part prophecy. And in many cases it takes understanding metaphor to understand the text. After all, without metaphor, Jesus’s “I am” statements would be nonsensical. Without metaphor, what would we make of the Psalms and Proverbs? 

Along those same lines is paradox, which Paul employs when explaining our relationship to Christ. A paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true. And paradox lies at the heart of the Christian faith. We worship a Master who is a servant and who says weakness is a power. Furthermore, the gospel is only good if it has both good and bad.  

1 Corinthians 7:22 puts it this way: “For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.” 

Paradoxically, then, by enslaving ourselves to Christ, we become free. 

Make no mistake, though: As it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we were bought at a price. But not with dirty man-made money; rather, with the blood of Christ. 

John Murray, the late theologian, said this: “When the Master is the omnipotent Lord of the universe, slavery is a consummate privilege and a passionate delight.” So for the Christian, “slave” is a paradoxically honorific title because our master is the kind who cleans his apostles’ feet and then lays down his life for them. He is the kind who tells us if we are tired and burdened, that he will give us rest for our souls. 

That said, the idea of being a slave to anything is difficult for some of us. And I’d imagine some of you are thinking, I’m no one’s slave. I do what I want. While I understand that sentiment, I’d offer you this:

That’s exactly what they said to Jesus. 

In John 8:33, it says, “They (the Jews) answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’” The irony of a people whose history is rooted in bondage and slavery claiming they have never been enslaved should not be missed there. And you could argue that’s how we look when we say we aren’t a slave to anything or anyone. 

But listen to Jesus’ answer: “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The translation is this: We are all in chains.

Some chains are darker than others, and some hold a tighter grip than others. For example, pornography is not a hobby that can be managed. Because once your brain has seen an image, it’s wired to want a new one. And a new one, and a new one. Along those same lines, greed is not a leisure activity. Whatever you buy, no matter how awesome it is, will need replacing. 

Denying your enslavement to those things--and the host of other things our culture gladly lures us in with--is simply trading one set of terrible chains for another. 

Jesus, meanwhile, presents this amazing opportunity: You can trade those terrible chains for glorious ones. Chains that are not connected to darkness, to emptiness. No, these glorious chains are connected to the Servant-Master who is unchanging, unfading, and all-powerful. 

Our master is a gracious God. Our master is the paradoxical Servant-King. 

If you have made it this far, reader, be encouraged: You are “no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:7). 

Trusting God's Process

At the beginning of this year, I went to a conference in Orlando and heard a speaker named Alan Fadling, who described how to live what he calls an “unhurried life.” I sat mesmerized as Fadling took apart Biblical texts and opened them up in ways that made me see sabbath rest differently than I ever had up to that point. I came away convicted that much of my life had a sense of hurried impatience to it. 

And as Fadling points out, it’s a version of impatient hurry that drives Abram and Sarai to orchestrate a childbirth. As Abram and Sarai are quickly reminded, though, God does not need help keeping His promises. 

For Sarai, her shame is clear. In a culture in which a woman’s worth was 100% tied to her ability to bear children, Sarai places her value on her womb and not her Lord. 

That said, as we are told in verse 3, she has waited 10 years. This is not Sarai complaining about her fast food order, as some commentaries have made it seem like. From the sound of things, it hasn’t been the most enjoyable decade, but regardless, you can understand and likely relate to her decision to try to take control of things. And here is where things spiral for Sarai. 

She first blames God for her misfortune, making the cringe-worthy statement: “The Lord has kept me from having children.” And when the consequences of her own faulty plan bring dissatisfaction, she then shifts the blame to her husband Abram. 

If you look at this scene objectively, though, you can’t help but feel some sympathy for Sarai. Now in their 70s and 80s, Abram and Sarai consider themselves too old for kids, and they see the fulfillment of God’s promise as impossible. Month after month pass, and it’s disappointment after disappointment for her. Any family who has had a struggle with infertility probably understands the pain Sarai felt--and can maybe defend her bitterness better than a 42-year-old male like me. So they decide to do the socially acceptable and common thing: a surrogate adoption. 

In reality, compared to our microwave society, Abram and Sarai are patient. Because let’s be honest: How often do we wait a decade for God to show up? I’ll admit that my unanswered prayers often get deserted after a certain amount of time. Yet despite our own stories of unbelief, it’s still tempting to fault Abram and Sarai for taking matters into their own hands because our advantage as the readers of their account, of course, is that we can see their whole story. 

So why is patience so hard for us? We are going, going, going. A God for whom a day is a thousand years is not in a hurry, so why are we? (2 Peter 3:8)

We got a glimpse of unhurried living during the covid-quarantine, which was an odd combination of enjoying a slower pace mixed with feeling restricted and cooped up. Many people felt disconnected from society, but fully connected to their family and God.

The goal, of course, is to be connected to both, as the Bible calls us to. But how? Are we willing to be patient and wait on God to move? 

Jesus, remember, waited 30 years and then an extra 40 days. Moses stood before Pharaoh ten times before his people were let go. Israel marched around Jericho seven times before the walls came down. Joseph sat in jail year after year. 

God seems to work through a process. What process does He have you in? 

I was recently watching a video about Eugene Peterson, the late pastor who is most known for writing the Message translation of the Bible. And he shared a story of watching a kingfisher bird perch on a branch over a lake and take dives at catching fish. Peterson got curious about the kingfisher’s effectiveness, so he started counting the dives it took for the bird to catch his first fish. It took 37 dives. And this is from the bird we have named the king fisher.

We have all sorts of ways to measure our success these days. Analytics is the new efficiency, and 0-37 isn’t a very good statistic. But God doesn’t seem very keen on analytics. 

Think about your own personal evangelism and how we tend to base our success as an evangelist on our conversion rate rather than our sharing rate. Evangelism isn’t hearing “yes”; it’s proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and offering that invitation to others, so your evangelism is not wasted when you hear “no.” 

What impossibility are you confronted with right now? What no’s have you heard over and over? Has it been long enough that you’re beginning to wonder whether God will come through, whether he’ll be faithful to his promises? 

If so, trust that God will send his holy spirit on that 38th conversation. Because 38, 59, 156 no’s in a row, that’s when it gets hard.

But if we take Scripture seriously, we see that’s when God has us where He wants us. 

The God Who Sees Us

This past Sunday I was able to preach on Genesis 16 (video here), which is a beautiful passage. It gives a picture of God’s grace and reminds us to place our identity in Him. 

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,  for the Lord has heard of your cry of affliction.

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”  

In verses 7-13, our relational and personal God speaks to Hagar, a slave of the lowest standing in her culture. And it’s Hagar’s identity that God speaks to in verse 8 when he asks her, “Where have you come from and where are you going?” These are not only great questions but also who is being addressed, for Hagar is a slave who was forced into a marriage and motherhood--neither of which she wanted. Yet despite the way her culture perceived her, Hagar was precious to her image maker. 

Now when God asks Hagar, “Where have you come from?”, it’s important to note that the all-knowing and all-powerful creator God has not forgotten His geography. The Alpha and the Omega is not confused about where Egypt is on a map. He is asking Hagar about her pain and her struggle. We know this because verse 11 says God has heard Hagar’s cry of affliction. God has seen it all--every blow Sarai inflicted, every blind eye Abram turned, every injustice Hagar suffered. 

And it gets even better: He sees you, too. 

Hagar got that. Do you?

What I continue to learn the hard way is that I can’t outsmart or outwit God--he sees all of me, and I have to get out of the way and let Him do work in me.   

No matter what you are facing, I offer you the same thing God told Hagar, which was go back and submit to her master.  

What pain are you keeping to yourself? What in your heart needs to be softened? Whose forgiveness do you need to seek?

God, our almighty Servant-Master, sees you and hears you. He hears your cries of affliction.

Go back to Him.

Genesis 16: God Sees Us

June 7th, 2020 | Good News Church, Wildwood Campus

Weeping and Rejoicing: Embracing My Grief

In what might be the most concise Old Testament picture of the gospel, the second half of Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Those 12 words capture the pain of Friday’s crucifixion and the beautiful rejoicing of Sunday’s resurrection. Psalm 30:5 therefore serves as a reminder to those who are going through trials: Sunday is coming! Christ is returning, and he will wipe away all our tears. 

Yet those of us who have experienced the loss of a family member or friend tend to feel the first half of Psalm 30:5 much more than the second. 

The question so many grieving folks want answered is this: When do the tears end, and when does joy begin to enter the picture?

In other words, what do you do when joy does not come in the morning?

Unfortunately I don’t have those answers. I can only share my experience. 

May 27th has been and will continue to be a heavy and confusing day for my family. On one hand, it’s my wife’s birthday. For those of you who know Kim, you what a lucky man I am. Kim is beyond special. But May 27th is also the anniversary of my nephew Noah’s tragic death. So May 27th is the day we attempt to live out Romans 12:15, which reads, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

This year’s May 27th, just a few days ago, marked three years since Noah’s death. And for the majority of the day, I was doing OK. I even sent texts to friends suggesting that my grieving had thankfully seemed to take a turn toward healing. But all was not well.  

I just hadn’t gotten alone yet. 

As I drove toward downtown St. Augustine to pick up dinner, blasting my “dad-rock” Indie playlist, the familiar brooding feeling came over me. So many of my favorite family memories are times we have spent together in St. Augustine, and those came flooding back. 

Then a text from Todd, the middle brother in my family, came in. Shortly after that, my brother Ryan sent a text, and his pain was raw.  

I was not able to stop the tears. 

And this is where grief gets me. I can find ways to stay busy to keep it at bay, but it always catches up to me. Refusing to acknowledge my grief during the month of May allowed me to enjoy tear-free days and maintain a happy exterior. But all that did was stack grief upon grief upon grief, which led to an explosion of emotions on May 27th. 

So on my drive home from The Floridian, I stopped trying to wipe away the tears and just let them go. When I got home, the birthday girl saw my face and knew the deal. We talked, cried together, and then sat down to eat. 

And here is where I have learned to lean in. 

When my daughter Kinley walked by, I didn’t hide my face, nor did my wife. We let our daughter join in our pain, and then she somewhat amazingly led us in prayer and asked God to reach us where we needed to be met. It was beautiful. 

My diet no longer a concern, I piled extra honey onto my chicken & waffles and dug in. We ate and cried and laughed. After dinner, we went for a walk. We talked to neighbors, even though I didn’t want to. While everything wasn’t all better, I was better in that moment.  

Everyone grieves differently. But if you are suffering right now, my encouragement is to take a cue from Psalm 42:3 and allow your tears to be your food day and night. 

Step toward your grief. 

Step toward our God. 

Sunday is coming.

Why I Write: A Reflection on Life at 42

From the time I took British Literature with Dr. Andrew Dillon in 1997, I knew I wanted to use words to impact the world. And for the first chapter of my life, I did just that as an English teacher, imploring students to find the beauty in classic works, and then prodding them to craft and revise creative and expository pieces. I would encourage them with my own writing occasionally, and at times I would submit academic articles to “English teachery” publications. 

And then God showed me a different path to my career. In 2017, I made the move to full-time ministry as the small group director of a PCA church in St. Augustine, FL. Being in the ministry has freed me in several different ways. It has provided flexibility in so many areas of my life and has allowed for more introspection than ever, which has led to more journaling and an expanded realm of writing topics. Yet ministry has been challenging, deeply emotional, and sometimes suffocating. 

This circuitous route to writing has given me affirmation that God is pleased when I write. Therefore, I write because I am an instrument of God’s creation, hand-crafted with skills that can and will show God’s glory and influence others for the Kingdom.  

In 2011, my wife, our two kids, and I were living in Columbia, SC, when a teaching opportunity in Louisville, KY came open. While the job sounded interesting, it was certainly not in our plans to move anytime soon. Around that same time, our Sunday school class was studying 1 Kings. When we landed in chapter 19 and God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?”, I had to ask myself the same question. It wasn’t easy, but we listened to God’s calling and ended up at a beautiful church in Louisville that stressed community in a way my wife and I had never seen. We quickly fell in love with small groups. Several years later, God provided an opportunity for me to make a living leading the small group ministry at my current church, in the city where my wife and I met. It’s a beautiful story, and beautiful stories need to be told. 

Recently, I have found myself coming back to that story as I think and pray about what God wants from me in my current role. Regardless of what my job description is, I write because I think my writing honors and pleases God. Yet my writing is not best fueled by isolation; rather, it’s stoked by community, by people, by stories. I am someone who thrives off of encouragement and encouraging others. So I write to tell or retell beautiful stories that encourage and help others.    

As someone whose education and experience are all classroom-related, it’s tempting to again ask myself, What am I doing here? when difficult circumstances arise or when I feel ill-equipped in ministry. It’s a lie to question God’s plan for me, and I have found that the best way to combat that lie is to write through it. 

For three decades, Good News Church has excelled in areas of evangelism and caring for one another through community. Since 1991, God has graciously blessed our church. Countless lives have been reached and transformed. God has done powerful work through the people of Good News Church.  It’s a beautiful story that needs to be told.

Yet our story is moving in a different direction, one that is much more focused on making disciples. So how do I help tell this “new” story? I am not proclaiming a dramatic “for such a time as this” moment. But if I truly believe that I am an instrument of God’s creation who can show God’s glory and influence others for the Kingdom, then I have to believe the story-telling skills God has given me will help our church retell our story and prepare us for the next chapter in our history. 

The purpose of Good News Church is simple: To make disciples together. To do so, our focus must be on sharing Jesus with others. After all, Jesus’s life is a beautiful story, and beautiful stories must be told.

On Saying Goodbye to Quarantine

Earlier this week it was announced that my church, Good News Church (St. Augustine, FL), is meeting in-person tomorrow, Sunday, May 10th. 

I was torn. 

On one hand, I was overjoyed. After all, this is my first chance to rock my seersucker blazer! But a part of me, perhaps a bigger part than I realized, was sad.

We are hard-wired by our triune God to be in community with others, and while I’m certainly not Mr. Extrovert, I am relational by nature. I believe the scriptures--it is good to meet; it is good to share smiles and side-hugs, to sing and hear others sing, and to listen to the proclaimed Word. I know this, but let me tell you a little secret:

Those Sundays off were pretty nice. 

I went to church in my pajamas for several weeks in a row. And for someone who works at a church and is typically “on” every Sunday morning, that was quite the luxury. 

And there were other things I loved about quarantine. 

I took approximately 8 million walks with my wife. We even jogged a few times. I hate running, but the wifey makes everything more bearable. While the exercise was nice, the company is what made those walks special. 

For as much fun as I have coaching my kids in rec league basketball, those suddenly-free Saturday mornings were a gift.  

Our family of four took picnics at the fort downtown, completed woodworking projects in the garage, and watched Lego Masters and rejoiced when the right team won. We put up a tent in the backyard, gathered around backyard fires nearly every night and ate far too many smores.  

One Sunday morning we went to the beach at sunrise with a few other families. We sang and threw shells in the ocean. 

I slept in occasionally. I reconnected with college teammates and laughed hysterically over Zoom calls. I discovered the power and magic of earbuds. I took naps. Everything was  s l o w e r .

I read and wrote and read and wrote and read and wrote. 

For the last few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of yardwork in our backyard. It’s been a mixture of weed pulling, digging up areas that have been ignored, adding walkways with pavers, moving rocks from forgotten places, and adding garden beds. The area my wife and I are most proud of is a corner with butterfly bushes and succulents and a bottlebrush tree and fresh mulch and things Joanna Gaines would approve of. 

I’m calling this corner the Quarantine Patch. 

Because as much as I love the way the corner looks now, it took some work to get there. I pulled a lot of weeds, yanked out roots, added new soil and mixed it with the original soil. And then I dumped about six inches of fresh mulch, with false hopes that I won’t see a weed for a year. 

I hope it’s this way with our lives post-quarantine: 

That my family is able to mix what we loved about the last few months with the good soil of our pre-covid lives. That we say goodbye to the unhealthy rhythms and embrace a slower pace, the “pace of grace,” as Alan Fadling calls it. 

My encouragement for you is to take time to identify the weeds and rocks of your quarantine. Separate them from the good, fresh soil, take them to a trash can and never let them back into your garden. And then as you recreate your garden, only put in what you love the most. Take time to cultivate your garden, and before you know it, you will begin to cultivate your soul. 

So goodbye, quarantine. You were weird and frustrating. And while I hope to never see you again, I appreciate the gifts you left behind. 

Cultivate Your Soul

In the last of the seven “I AM” statements in John 15:1, we are reminded that God is the gardener.  Throughout scripture we see countless references to trees, plants, and vegetation. Often these references carry a symbolic meaning.

For example, in the John 15:1 “I AM” statement, John is emphasizing the sustaining power of Christ. We are the branches, and Jesus is the vine. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it is joined in vital union with the vine, only those who are in Christ can produce fruit in the Christian life. 

In short, Christ is cultivating us. 

In this season of quarantine, are you finding ways to produce fruit? Before you stop reading, though, this is not encouragement to “do more” for the Lord. I see the people on Facebook making gourmet dinners, learning the saxophone, creating custom fitness plans, and building magical tree houses all at once, and I resent them as much as you. 

To be clear: It’s not that doing those things is bad. It’s whether those activities are coming from a place of contentment in the Lord. Are your daily activities stirring your affection for Jesus? In other words, if nailing your honey-do list is leaving you exhausted or irritable; if your to-do list takes over your day and squeezes out time with your family or your Creator; and if your creative desire is based on approval of other humans, well then it’s all for naught, a “chasing after the wind,” as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes says. 

The question I’m after is this: How are you cultivating your soul? 

Of the several examples from the Bible that parallel our covid-quarantine world, let’s take a look at Elijah first. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah is on fire: He raises the widow’s son back to life; mocks the prophets of Baal in a sacrificial showdown and slaughters every one of them, and then powers up and runs faster than a chariot.

But Elijah’s adrenaline quickly wears off, and after one threat, he becomes immediately afraid for his life. So he gives up. He throws in the towel and offers his life to God. As we approach the third month of Quarantine, maybe you feel like this. You are Zoomed out, you are over the toilet paper scavenger hunt, and you are ready to eat out again. There is hope for you yet, brother or sister, because sometimes the holiest thing we can do is take a nap! 

As you continue in 1 Kings 19, an exhausted Elijah’s to-do list looks like this: 

• Lose your senses

• Take a nap

• Eat

• Take another nap

• Eat

If we look closely at the way God operates, God takes just as much enjoyment in your stillness as he does in your content creation. God gets just as much glory in your silence as he does in your newly constructed herb garden. Our Lord is honored just as much in your car-ride-to-nowhere-prayers as he is in your multi-task-while-you-Zoom-call busyness. 

In fact, He prefers your quietness.  

Psalm 23 is well known for good reason. And the author, David, is no slouch. David slayed a few to-do lists in his day. Yet David knows that for his soul to be refreshed (v 3), he must allow God to lead him to green pastures--beside quiet waters--so that he can lie down and be still with God (v 2). 

Elijah and David both receive nourishment from the Lord and then carry on in mission.  

Neither Elijah nor David, however, came close to mastering the way Jesus so often stole away in early morning or late night hours to be refreshed by his Father. And it is Jesus’ words of rest that should be the biggest encouragement to us:  

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

When is the last time you felt that type of “soul rest” or intentionally stirred your affection for Christ? 

Paul wrote four books of the Bible while in mandatory quarantine (see: prison). Joseph sat in jail for over a decade and crafted a CEO vision. Does this feeble article advance the Kingdom the way those two did? Certainly not. But writing cultivates my soul. Writing pushes me back to the Bible, and it makes me empathize with other perspectives. It stirs my affection for Jesus. I like to think God is pleased to see me using the gifts He has given me. 

How do you cultivate your soul? When do you sense God is pleased with you?  

If answering those questions is difficult, go lie down. 

Be still. 

Rest. 

Anchor Yourself to Jesus: The Manly Man’s Jesus Metaphor

Because the Bible uses figurative language, frequently enlisting metaphorical uses of gardening terms, there can sometimes be a disconnect for men when it comes to reading and understanding the Bible. I am certainly not suggesting that men aren’t smart enough to read the Bible--because that is simply not true--but I do think most men have at least a slight aversion to language that is metaphorical in nature. 

For example: In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” He explains this metaphor in the following way: “Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me” (15:4). 

That is a beautiful picture. Sadly, though, because of cultural and contextual failures, it can fall on deaf ears. 

So today I present “The Manly Man’s Jesus Metaphor, Stud Finder Edition (Power Tools Optional).” 

No matter what type of home you own, at some point you will need to hang something on the walls. And if that item has any weight to it, you can’t just throw it up on the drywall and expect it to stay put. Maybe you have learned this the hard way. But drywall cannot bear the weight of heavy items. When attempting to hang something heavy, you have two options: anchors or studs. 

And most of the time an anchor works just fine. But we’ve all seen anchors that have fallen back out of the drywall or needed to be re-installed. 

But a stud! 

A stud is foolproof. If you want something hung on the wall until you move or die, you find a stud. For those unsure of what a “stud” is, it’s a vertically positioned post in the framework of a wall that supports sheets of drywall. A stud won’t bend or break, pivot or wedge. A stud is rock solid.  

The stud, you see, is Jesus. 

That leaves us as the item being hung on the wall. The beauty of this metaphor is that you can be anything you want: an amazing library of leather bound books; an expensive electric guitar; a rustic window your wife found on the side of the road and now you get to clean and repaint; an authentic Thor hammer; or an autographed bowling ball signed by the Lebowski himself.  

Whatever you choose, be encouraged: If you want your life to have eternal meaning, affix your soul to the One who never wavers, to the One who gives life, to the One who provides rest for the weary and strength to the brokenhearted, to the One who gave His life for us. 

Don’t be deceived--everyone is being discipled; it’s just a matter of what or whom is discipling you. Men, don’t settle for the treasures of this world. Don’t anchor yourself to cheap things. 

Anchor yourself to Jesus.

Biblical Manhood: Live Like a Son of Jesse

One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

— 1 Samuel 16:18 English Standard Version (ESV)

In an age of “toxic masculinity,” we desperately need men to lead their homes. We must reject passive lives and lead the way God wants us to. And as Christians, we can take our cue from men of the Bible, remembering that no man outside of Christ lived a perfect life. 

As I’ve studied Biblical manhood over the course of my 17-year marriage, I am more convinced than ever that Christian men must strive to live like sons of Jesse. 

We created 3:23 with the purpose of fostering biblical manliness in young men, and we settled on 1 Samuel 16:18 as our key verse. As I began teaching these six principles to young men, including my own son, grown men kept telling me, Man, I need these characteristics in my own life! 

Here is a short look at each of David’s six characteristics:

SKILLFUL IN PLAYING

David was a skilled musician and singer. Does this mean you need to be the fireside guitar guy? Absolutely not; in fact, we probably have too many of those guys already. But it does mean you need to sing, which is hard for a lot of men. The Bible says a lot about singing, though. We are called to sing for God, to God, and to one another. Throughout the Bible, we see hymns being sung in celebration and despair, in joy and in sorrow. As men, we are not exempted from singing.   

MAN OF VALOR

We don’t use the word “valor” much these days. And perhaps that’s because the idea of bravery has been reduced to movies and doesn’t play a role in our everyday lives. Yet the Bible refers to our Christian walk as a spiritual battle frequently. The devil is prowling, men, and it takes courage to quiet his seductive voice. Bravery in our culture looks much different from David’s day. We are not racing toward Goliath on the battlefield, but the many goliaths in our hearts must be faced and silenced. 

MAN OF WAR

It’s important to point out that a man of war does not pick fights; rather, he defends those who cannot defend themselves. A man of faith doesn’t use his authority to bully people--that’s what cowards do. Certainly a man of God defends his family, but that should extend beyond our homes. Without getting political, much of our cultural discord is an Imago Dei problem. We must remember that all humans are born in the image of God and that each one of us is worth defending.   

PRUDENT IN SPEECH

Once again, the Bible says plenty about our tongue and the power it has. Here are a few heart check questions: How do you talk to your children when you are frustrated? How do you treat people in retail--waiters, cashiers, and receptionists? How do you speak to your employees? What do you say about your boss behind his/her back? To live as an heir of Christ, men must find a way to pray and think through our words before we let them loose. 

A MAN OF GOOD PRESENCE

It’s documented that David was likely a handsome dude. Yet the ESV translation suggests David’s magnetism was more about his countenance rather than his good looks. Do you look like someone who is going to spend eternity with Jesus or do you look like you just walked through a cloud of mosquitoes? What does your “resting face” look like, and could our countenance in public places be an invitation to a gospel conversation with a lost person? I think so!

THE LORD IS WITH HIM

Quite simply, a man of God makes time to be with the Lord and feel His presence. When the Lord is with us, we have a contentment and peace that surpasses all understanding. Typically we feel the Lord’s presence when we are in the Word regularly and are in prayer for our families, our local churches, and our communities. And when we are affirmed in the promises of the Bible, we are therefore more equipped to handle our circumstances when things don’t go according to plan.  

Of these six characteristics, evaluate where you are. Where are you strongest, and where do you need the most help? Huddle with a trusted friend or your wife and get their input. And finally, be encouraged by David, and take a step--today--toward becoming a Son of Jesse. 

Virtual 323 Video!

Every wondered what a day at 323 is like? Well, here’s a look (COVID-19 style). Check out Parts 1 AND 2:

All the 3:23s in the Bible!

To celebrate March 23rd (3:23 Day), here are all the 3:23s in the Bible, some of which are a tad more relevant than others:

Genesis 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

Numbers 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.

Deuteronomy 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord:

Judges 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

2 Samuel 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

1 Kings 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

2 Kings 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

1 Chronicles 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 The sons of Neariah: / Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam—three in all.

Nehemiah 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.

Job 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Why is life given to a man / whose way is hidden, / whom God has hedged in?

Proverbs 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, / and your foot will not stumble.

Isaiah 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

Jeremiah 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills / and mountains is a deception; / surely in the Lord our God / is the salvation of Israel.

Lamentations 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 They are new every morning;/ great is your faithfulness.

Ezekiel 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

Daniel 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Mark 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:“How can Satan drive out Satan?

Luke 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

John 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.

Acts 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’

Romans 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

1 Corinthians 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Galatians 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

Colossians 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

1 John 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

• 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

Top 10 Things to Make Homeschooling Easier for Kids (by kids)—COVID-19 Resource

After news of COVID-19 canceling schools across the country hit, about a million resources for first-time homeschool parents quickly covered the internet. But don’t forget about the kids! The transition to doing schoolwork from home will be a challenge for the students as well. Today our homeschooling family sat down and brainstormed some suggestions for other kids who will be starting school at home next week. Without further ado, here are the “Top 10 Things to Make Homeschooling Easier for Kids (by kids).”

By Elijah and Kinley Pollock

# 10.) Listen to music! Get a Spotify playlist made and jam out. But because everyone focuses differently and siblings tend to have opposite or different musical taste, listen with ear buds.

# 9.) Make a deal with your parents. Set a certain time to play video games or have screen time. Typically this is after your school work is finished.

# 8.) Take regular snack breaks.

# 7.) When you get frustrated (and you will get frustrated) doodle, scribble, draw, or do something else that helps take your mind off what is frustrating you. 

# 6.) Eat pancakes for breakfast! (or something you really enjoy)

# 5.) Use Art Hub for Art class or a break. It’s an amazing website!

# 4.) Try to finish all your work by lunch so the day doesn’t drag on, even if that means eating a later lunch.

# 3.) Sleep in! Or get up and do something in your room for awhile--read, Legos, toys, etc.

# 2.) Get outside or get exercise. Shoot hoops, go for a bike or scooter ride. Go fishing.  

# 1.) Start a hobby. Eli recently started an Ebay account (3:23 Cards) to sell basketball cards. Kinley loves to do crafts or play the piano or ukulele. 

The Good Samaritan and COVID-19

Part of my daily reading plan today was Luke 9. But because of the way my brain is wired, I took a quick peek at tomorrow’s reading (chapter 10), which has a very familiar passage to most of us: The Good Samaritan.

As you likely recall, after a man is robbed and beaten, a priest and Levite both pass by the injured man on the other side of the road, refusing to help. A third man, however--a Samaritan--has compassion and takes care of the man. Not only that, the Samaritan locates an inn, gives the innkeeper money to take care of the man, and offers to repay any extra costs the innkeeper may encounter. 

Seeing this passage reminded me of a question I saw online the other day, and it’s been sort of haunting me ever since: If your church suddenly disappeared, would your community notice? 

Are we, the church, “the one(s) who show mercy” (Luke 10:37)? Now remember that this is a parable. I am not suggesting that you race over to your infected friend’s house and play doctor. 

There are certainly tangible needs that elderly or vulnerable people have right now. And it’s good and right for us to help with as many of those as possible. Just yesterday, a small group leader texted me with a need for a medical supply. Minutes after getting this request, I texted several other small group leaders for help. No more than 30 minutes after the request, the item requested was hand-delivered to the front door. It was a beautiful picture of the church at work. 

And that’s my encouragement: It’s not up to you. Rally forces. Call on your friends to help you help others. The Good Samaritan took the first step but needed the innkeeper (and who knows who else) to finish the task. 

Beyond the tangible needs, however, are loads and loads of hidden needs. People are anxious, scared, and confused. Some are misled. Most just need someone who will listen. Can you fill that need for a neighbor or friend? Take some time to think through the people in your network who might be particularly affected by all that’s swirling around us right now. 

And then consider that Jesus ends the parable by telling his audience to “go and do the same” (10:37). Will you obey?

Anxiety and COVID-19

I took an unusually long look at my daily meds this morning. I peered down into that stupid orange container and did some basic math. And because my medication is for general panic disorder, my thought process worked in the following manner: 

• I have about three weeks of meds left.

• What would happen if pharmacies closed?

• I’m going to have a panic attack. 

• We will be living in a post-apocalyptic movie by the first week of April. 

If that seems irrational, that’s because it is. And that is exactly why I take medication, because the medicine has a way of saying, “Hey, man. We aren’t fighting zombies just yet. Have some coffee.”

That said, medicine is only a part of my daily prescription. While my meds can help my brain reside in a more logical place, I have found that no amount of medicine can stop the Deceiver from doing his work. To combat his lies, I preach the Truth to myself by opening the Word. As I read the Bible, I am reminded of God’s promises. I read of a Jesus who touches lepers, heals the sick, provides for the poor, downtrodden, and hungry. I read these stories, and I am encouraged. I am filled up. I do not become invincible or impervious to anxiety, but when I center my thoughts on Jesus, deceptive thoughts are demolished, and I am able to take my thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). 

But I’m 41 and what doctors would call healthy. I am employed by a local church. I am a part of a 12-person small group that prays for one another and shares thoughts about our Bible reading on a daily basis. I have spiritual mentors and friends I can call on when things get hazy. I see a Christian counselor regularly. My Twitter feed is chock full of pastors and writers who share helpful articles and thoughts. I have those systems in place, and still my fight against anxiety is a daily one. What about our neighbors who have none of those in place? As scary as my look into the medicine bottle was this morning, how much more concerned was my 85-year old neighbor with a pre-existing medical condition when she looked into hers? What about the 55-year-old who lives alone and just returned from an overseas trip? And the teenager who is battling the age-old question, Who am I? 

Could the climate of the coronavirus lead to a revival, as some have suggested? That I cannot speak to, but it does feel like we have a great opportunity to share our faith with those around us. Despite what folks might be saying on their social media accounts, our neighborhoods and cities are full of scared people. And as people face days, weeks, and even months without school, work, or their normal daily distractions, there will be much more idle time to deal with private thoughts, which statistics show us will likely lead to an increase in depression, anxiety, and suicide.

As we know, our buildings are not the church--we, God’s people, are the church. How will we respond? How will you respond?