You know, my dad wasn’t particularly expressive when I was growing…

You know, my dad wasn't particularly expressive when I was growing up but there were was things he…

Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

You know, my dad wasn't particularly expressive when I was growing up but there were was things he did that spoke volumes. One example is how he would always be looking for change on the ground. It didn't matter where we were or the condition of the coin -it could be in the bottom of a puddle, covered in mud or even bent and mangled, my dad would stop in his tracks to pick it up. I also observed the same attitude when he would help people. I can't tell you how many times we were late getting somewhere because he would stop to help someone on the side of the road. Somehow as a child I put the two things together and what I learned from watching my dad was that all people have value, no matter where you find them or how they come to you. So, now I stop to pick up loose coins wherever I am, no matter the condition I find it in because it's a reminder of a lesson I learned from him. Happy Birthday Rev. Paul Luckett. I love you.

What Is Hypocrisy?

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It strikes me how sternly and often Jesus spoke about hypocrisy (Matt 16:6, 23:28, Luke 12:1, etc). If the Teacher sees fit to warn about something and call attention to it repeatedly, it’s important and something I need to press into.

So, I’ve been praying for some time, “Lord, what is hypocrisy? What is the corruption in us that you are speaking to when you say ‘hypocrisy’? How do I identify it in me?” I believe this answer came to me during my study time today,

“Hypocrisy is to elevate oneself and condemn fault in others that we overlook in ourselves.”

This is informed by passages such as Romans 2:1, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” In short, we are all corrupt and corruption causes harm. Period. So, we’re all guilty and in need of mercy. If we have received such great mercy as that made available in Jesus Christ, we know it was not because we were worthy but because He is merciful, else mercy is not mercy. This should produce in us humility and compassion, definitely not superiority.

His flight leaves Jackson International Airport in 2 hours and…

Originally posted on Facebook on Monday, January 23, 2017.

His flight leaves Jackson International Airport in 2 hours and we're still in Starkville. Undeterred, we hop in his gold Cadillac, and speed down 25 in a heroic effort to make a two hour trip in an hour and thirty. On the way, Dr. Gregory Jones and I are having a discussion about grace and mercy because, being new to grace, I was struggling to make a distinction between the two. And, just as as we get out of the Starkville city limits, we are met by the blue lights of a Mississippi Highway Patrol car. As the officer leans down to take my license, he sees Pastor Jones and recognizes him immediately. They chat, they laugh and the officer lets us go with a warning. As we pull back onto the highway, Dr. Jones says, "See, the officer letting you go without a ticket is mercy. He didn't give you what you deserved. Now, had he let you go and also gave you $100, that's grace – giving you more than you deserve."

I could tell a story every day for years about what this man invested in my life. But what's more important is that you get what Dr. Gregory Jones life was all about, what God shared him with us to give: Your innermost desire is to see your Heavenly Father smile, to know that "you're good". And, all it takes to make God smile, is to accept the Gift that He gave -Christ. The Gift, through acceptance, does the rest. That's grace.

One first Sunday in 1996, I attended Greater Ebenezer M.B. Church…

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, January 22, 2017.

One first Sunday in 1996, I attended Greater Ebenezer M.B. Church in Starkville, MS. The church was packed with college students and as I was leaving, Pastor Gregory Jones stopped me at the door and said, "Why didn't you take communion?" I responded flatly, "Because, I am unworthy," thinking of 1 Corinthians 11:27. Pastor Jones replied, "Thinking you're not worthy and knowing Jesus is, makes you worthy."

Up until that moment, I only knew the exacting requirements of God, I saw Him as judge I could not please. I knew nothing of the provision God had already made to satisfy those requirements Himself through Christ, so that I could enjoy the endless pleasures of fellowship with Him. Everything I know about grace began with Dr. Gregory Jones. He died today. I will miss him but I know where to find him -in Christ.

Happiness Is Easier Knowing I’m Never Satisifed

I think it’s easier to be happy when you know there’s a part of you that will never be satisfied.

I believe there are ideas in the world that, when accepted, become part of us, such as the spirit that seeks fulfillment through indulgence, apart from God. This is biblically referred to as our “flesh” (not to be confused with our biology). We all wrestle with it and it can never be satisfied, not with any achievement, any possession, any experience, any relationship -anything. It robs us of joy and peace because it’s restless, discontent, constantly grasping but never laying hold of.

When my flesh is aroused and I find myself dissatisfied with my life, the temptation is to feed this hunger, to do something that gets me more of something: more enjoyment, more recognition, more money, more power. But this focus on “getting” runs counter to the purposes the Bible says we are created for: to be fruitful, to create, to produce -to give. So, I find the key to my peace is not feeding this fleshly hunger but to starve it, to redirect my focus and energy from what I want to get out of the world to what I want to put out into it that yields life. That’s where I find fulfillment.

Jesus put it this way, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” [Matt 16:25] What is His sake? That we may have life. [John 10:10]

A Pursuit Greater Than Happiness

My marriage, like anything God creates, is not just for me. It’s for the benefit of those around me: for my children, my nieces & nephews, for my community -for the world. Marriage is the gold standard of relationships and if I cannot maintain the relationship that claims to be based on love, it sets a really low bar for the others.

So, I must fight for love, the hope of marriage. I must fight towards my wife. I must work through our differences. I must bless her and not hurt her. I must help bring to bear her God-given gifts to the world. I must do this, even in seasons of unhappiness, especially in seasons of unhappiness. I have a pursuit greater than happiness.

First posted on Facebook October 15, 2016 11:44:41 AM

Humility Is Context

Nearly everyone knows that humility is not about puffing yourself up. But did you know that it’s also not about putting yourself down or pretending to be less than you are? Humility is somewhere between knowing that the world will go on without you and appreciating the capacity you have to positively impact it. Humility is context. It’s knowing that I matter only as part of something greater.

First posted on Facebook October 5, 2016 at 8:16am

When Doing Good Doesn’t Seem To Pay

Frustrated and feeling overlooked, he still flashed a smile to his teammates, congratulating them on their touchdowns. After the game, sensing his dejection I said, “Work hard and keep finding ways to get open. It will come.” I then lauded him for having a good attitude even when things didn’t turn out the way he had hoped. I said, “You did the right thing, son.” He retorted, “What good is it to do the right thing, when it doesn’t get you anywhere?” I replied softly, “I’d take a good conscience over a good moment any day.”

He turned and looked at me for a moment, seeming to consider my words before looking out of the window. I hope he got it.

First posted on Facebook September 23, 2016 at 7:42am