A Special Thanks to Pastors

"And I will give you pastors according to Mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."
Jeremiah 3:15 KJV


Did you know that October is Pastor Appreciation Month? We were really blessed to spend the first Sunday of this special month at Victory Christian Center in Rancho Mirage, California with two dear friends and pastors, Jeff and Melissa Walker. We love to visit their church when we're in the Palm Springs area, because we so love to hear their hearts and see their love for their people. Being with the Walkers got me thinking about the pastors who have made a significant difference in my life. So, bear with me as I give them a little appreciation.

The first is Pastor Chuck Swindoll who is the senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, TX. Now, Pastor Chuck doesn't know me from Adam, and in fact, we've never met. But, because of his daily national radio program, he served as my first pastor. You see, I didn't get saved in church, so I didn't know the value of attending church and having a pastor. I would listen to Pastor Chuck on the radio in my car as I traveled around Western Michigan. What an outstanding teacher of the Word of God! Man, I can remember like yesterday how God would use him to make the Word alive and relevant to my life in so many ways. I owe a lot to him. You see, because of him, I developed a hunger and desire deep within my heart to someday do the same for others. Thanks, Pastor Chuck—if I don't meet you here on earth, I'll see you someday in heaven and give you a huge hug!

The second is Pastor Dave Williams, who is the senior pastor at Mount Hope Church in our hometown of Lansing, Michigan. When I finally realized my need to have a pastor, I began to attend Mount Hope. Pastor Dave is a gifted communicator in so many ways, and his love for Jesus and the Word is contagious. Another outstanding attribute about Pastor Dave is his love for lost people. Not only is he an incredible communicator, he is a gifted evangelist. I'll never forget the night that he taught on the importance of financial planning, and how you needed the right kind of insurance, and then gave a simple altar call...and tons of people gave their lives to Jesus. It was amazing to watch God use him that way, and it helped me to have a heart to always connect with lost people. Thanks, Pastor Dave—because of you and your love for Jesus and His lost sheep, we're doing the same thing in Kalamazoo.

The third pastor in my life is Pastor Kenneth Hagin, Jr., who, along with his wife, Lynnette, pastor Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, OK. He'll never know the special significance that a message he preached called, "A Place Called There" had in my life. It was 25 years ago and I was in business but felt a call to leave that world and pursue a life of ministry. Well, I can tell you, I must have listened to that message 100 times. He spoke on the importance of finding your current "there" and how God has provision for everything you would need..."there." He talked about how some folks miss all that God has for them because they get so comfortable in their "here" that they won't go "there." Well needless to say, his message helped to give me the faith to get "there" and attend their Bible School and for Pastor Hagin to be my pastor for all these years. Thank you, Pastor Ken and Lynette—for all you have done for me—and so many others who are making a huge difference around the world. We cannot be defeated and we will not quit!

Finally, there is Pastor Jeff Arnett, who is the senior pastor of Thornapple Valley Church in Hastings, Michigan. It's a long story, but when Beth and I moved back to Michigan to start a church, things didn't go the way we had expected, and we found ourselves struggling to figure out what to do with our lives. We were unsure of who we were and what God was calling us to do, and then we visited Jeff's church. I will never forget how God used Jeff to show me what was in my heart. I saw how Jeff loved God and loved His people, and realized that was also inside of me. It was one of those "a picture paints a thousand words" deals. I actually saw what I couldn't explain with words, and from that point on, my life has never been the same. Thank you, Pastor Jeff—for just being who God called you to be and for helping me to see who God called me to be.

So, who are those pastors in your life who have made a difference for you? When was the last time you took the time to drop them a note, give them a call, or just say a prayer for them? These are the men and women who God gave you to show you His heart and His love for you. A little appreciation would go a long way to encourage them.

Thank you Lord for giving us Pastors after Your own heart.

Peace-

Jeff

So, who are you?

"For in Him we live and move and have our being…." Acts 17:28a


I wonder if the most important question any of us can ever ask ourselves is, "Who am I?"

But it also seems like it's one of those questions that's always evolving. When we were younger, that question was easy; we would simply answer, "I'm a boy," or "I'm a girl." That was it, simple and easy to understand, and even easier to be. Then, before you knew it, we were teenagers and all those crazy hormones started kicking in and the struggle to describe who we are began. So...are we kids, or are we adults...or maybe we're just kids in adult bodies? Who are we?

"I'm a(n) _______ (fill in the blank)." I'm an...athlete, a student, a student athlete, a teacher, a student teacher, a graduate, a graduate assistant, a professor, employee, employer, trainee, intern, apprentice, journeyman...a man, woman, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, fiancé, husband, wife, divorceé, cancer survivor, widow, mom, dad, stepmom, stepdad, stepbrother, stepsister, grandma, grandpa, veteran...a minister, a former such-and-such." Man, my head is spinning; how about yours?

You see, life happens, and it's a moving target, which means that at any time we can find ourselves holding several of these positions at once. And because of that, it's possible to lose focus and our ability to be very good at any one of these roles. So, how do we find stability in our constantly changing worlds? There's only One Way, and it's not found in us, but in Jesus Christ.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock." (Matthew 7:24)

He is the Rock described here in this verse, and if we're wise, we'll build our lives on Him and His Word. He is the only One who can bring a solid and steady foundation to our lives if we choose to place our identity solely upon Him. Now, I'm not saying that we just add the word "Christian" as a prefix to the above titles—that just seems so cheesy and phony. No, what I'm saying is that our identities should never, and I mean never be in what we do or in a role we play. The foundation of our identities should simply be that we're followers of Jesus Christ. You see, we've surrendered our lives to Him, which means that we can't reflect His light if we're always shining the light on ourselves. We can't be a reflection of Him, if we're always looking at ourselves in the mirror. It's sort of like what John the Baptist said about Jesus: "He must increase and I must decrease." (John 3:30)

So who are you? You are a child of God, the apple of His eye; and on top of that, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. So, let's choose to live today from the foundation of the unchanging position we hold every day: a follower of Jesus Christ, a child of God, a sold-out believer in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords...the Author and the Finisher of our Faith.

Peace-

Jeff

Thank God For Teachers

"Train up a child on the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6


One morning last month I had the privilege of bringing a word of encouragement to the whole staff of the Kalamazoo Christian School Association during one of their preparation days for the new school year. Well, ever since then, I've been thinking about the value teachers play in our lives. They play such an important role in shaping our lives, and their efforts can last a lifetime.

Personally, I'll be forever grateful to Dale Hanson who was my senior high graphics arts teacher. He saw something in me, and I'm not even sure what it was. But God used him to help me believe in myself when I was lost and out of focus. The sad thing is, I never did thank him. Do you have similar story? I bet all of us can remember a teacher who took the time to make us feel special, or helped to point us in the right direction.

So I just want to give a shout out to all you teachers out there. Whether you're teaching in a public, private, parochial or Christian school—or even in the home—your work is valuable; it's important, and even though at times it may not look like it, you are making a difference.

I would like to particularly thank the teachers at Kalamazoo Christian School who have helped our kids in so many ways. They describe Christian education as a stool that has three legs: church, home and school. We couldn't agree more. Beth and I are forever grateful for the solid Christian worldview that our kids received there, and hold onto today. As pastors, we did our best to model our values and our faith at home and at the church. But having the kids attend a school that reinforced our faith in Jesus Christ was huge for them and us. Even though it cost a bundle to send them to a private school, it was worth every dime.

But here's the other benefit from that experience. Attending a Christian school helped our kids decide to attend a Christian college. Our daughter, Meghan, graduated last May from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids. Our daughter, Annie, and son, Luke, both attend Spring Arbor University near Jackson. Both are excellent schools, both helping students maintain a Christian worldview as they continue their educations. I don't have to tell you that life at a secular college is quite a bit different than at a Christian college. The other night we went down to Spring Arbor to watch Annie play volleyball and after the game, both Annie and Luke were going to go to a worship service at 10:00pm with Ron Kopicko, the school chaplain. Given the choice of seeing your kids head to a worship night rather than out to the club would make any parent appreciate the place.

So, here's to you, teachers, wherever you are. We appreciate your hearts to help our kids and for making such a positive difference in this world!

In Him-

Jeff

Get Over Yourself

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Have you ever had your feelings hurt, been offended because you weren't treated fairly, or blew your stack because things didn’t go the way you thought they should? Well, just get over yourself. I hate to break the news to you, but the world does not spin around you and there are something close to 7 billion others of us living here on “Planet You.” Now don’t stop reading, because from time to time, we all find ourselves on the same boat; you know the one, the “SS ME.”

But this verse gives all of us some hope. It tells us that we can actually tap into the grace of God and begin to see ourselves differently. God is reminding us that we shouldn’t see ourselves more highly than we should, but to think of ourselves “soberly”; no better or worse than anyone else.

I want to share with you three simple truths that will help you do this:

(1) Get Low and Stay Low

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Get the picture? We’re not to do anything out of ambition, conceit, or pride, and notice it doesn’t say to look at others as equal, but better than us. Wow, honestly when was the last time we did this, and placed others before ourselves?

(2) Be Others Focused

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Later on in this same chapter, the Apostle Paul tells the church at Philippi that of all the leaders he’d been training, that only one guy, Timothy, would naturally care for their state, because all sought their own.

So maybe we should take a little time and help those around with things that are important to them first, before we look at our own interests.

(3) Be Servant of All

Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Jesus’ disciples had been arguing about where there would fit on the ministry flow chart. They were fighting among themselves on who would be the greatest! Can you imagine how dumb that conversation must have sounded? But Jesus reminded them, as He is reminding us today that if we want to be great, then we must choose to become servant of all. And by the way, the last time I did a word search on the definition of all, it came back meaning all. In other words, we don’t get a chance to pick and choose who we serve, we should just serve everyone.

What do you think? Willing to try it for a day? What if all of us decided to purposely serve EVERYONE we come in contact today. How much would our world change? We’d love to hear how it went, let us know.

Peace-

Jeff

Things I Meant To Tell You Before You Left

Proverbs 1:8 “My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.”

This is on open letter to our son Luke. We moved him to Spring Arbor University to begin his freshman year on Monday. If you’ve gone through this then you can totally relate to the emotions a parent goes through at a time like this. If you haven’t, then let me warn you, it’s horrible. There I was crying like a baby, knowing all the while that Luke was smack dab in the center of God’s will for his life, but still not wanting to let him go. As we drove away, I thought of a million things I meant to tell him about life. So, I thought maybe I could share a few of them with you:

(1) Do you remember all those bedtime stories I made up about “super boy”, the kid in the neighborhood who always rescued the other kids when they were in trouble, and then always ended the story by asking, “do you know who super boy really is?” and you would smile, point to yourself and answer “Luke”? I meant to tell you that I did that because I wanted you to grow up with the confidence that you had what it takes to help people who are in need. I can see that now in you as you reach out to your friends who need a word of encouragement or just a little help in life, you're there for them.

(2) Do you remember the time we laid down in the driveway to face the wind and the thunderstorm that scared the snot out of you? I meant to tell you that I did that because I wanted you to learn to face your fears. Because no matter how old we get, things come up in life that scare us and we need to learn to face them just like we did with that storm. Now I can see that you’re a guy that doesn’t scare easy and that you have a strength and confidence that comes through everything you do.

(3) Do you remember when you joined the Rocket Football Team and thought that first side-ache was terminal and wanted to quit? I meant to tell you that the reason I wouldn’t let you quit is that if you were ever going to be a winner in life then you would have to learn to push through, and press on, when things get tough. That every successful person I know has had to learn how to do the “hard things." I can see that in you as you’ve faced the challenges of learning to shoot and edit videos, create your own website, and become a worship leader. Aren’t you glad you didn’t quit that dumb football team?

(4) Do you remember all those mornings after our time at “big daddy’s bistro” that I drove you to middle school and you slept the whole way? I meant to tell you that I didn’t mind getting up early to make you breakfast and then drive you to school because I loved to spend time with you. I wanted you to know that your Heavenly Father is the same way. He just loves spending time with you too. I can see that today as you make your personal devotion time with God a real priority in your life. I love seeing how genuine your relationship with Jesus is and how much He has helped shape your life.

(5) Finally, do you remember the million times we butted heads on issues? How I seemed to hold you to a higher standard then your sisters, or even your friends? I meant to tell you that I wasn’t trying to be hard on you, but was just trying to help you become the man God created you to be. So, when those seemingly little things became big things it’s only because every decision we make in life has consequences, and consequences matter. But I’ve watched you over the last few years make some really great choices and decisions in your life.

Well that’s all there’s room for. Just know this Luke, even though the season has changed and you’ve gone off to college I’ll always be your dad, and you’ll always be my super boy. I love you son!

Thanks everybody for letting me share this with you.

With love-


Jeff

Heirs Together

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:17

There are two parts of this scripture that are worth taking some time to drill down on. The first is this idea of living with your spouse “with understanding” as a way of honoring one another. Which means that it’s possible that we could be married for years but really never take the time to understand each other. If husbands and wives are ever going to understand each other than we need to take time to have honest, God honoring communication.

The other day I came across 10 questions that I had ask my wife to answer for me about 8 years ago to help me understand her better. According to this verse if we can learn to understand each other we get to partake in the second part and become “heirs together of the grace of life.” In simple terms, this just means that we can expect God’s grace to rest upon our lives and marriage. I don’t know how it is for you, but the more of God’s grace I get to tap into the better!

So, these questions are not original with me, and frankly I just don’t remember where I got them. So, if you’re reading this and think, “hey, I’m the author of those questions”, well let me apologize. I don’t mean to plagiarize you, I just forgot the source, so please don’t sue me. Here they are:

(1) Is there anything I could do to cause you to feel more loved

(2) Is there anything I can do that would give you the confidence that I respect you and the desires of your heart?

(3) Is there anything I need to do that would cause you to feel more secure?

(4) Is there anything I can do that would indicate that I hear and understand your heart?

(5) Is there anything further I need to do to cause you to have an even greater confidence regarding our future direction?

(6) Is there any attribute you would like for me to develop or strengthen?

(7) Is there any attribute you would like me to help YOU develop in yourself, even if it’s only by praying for you?

(8) What achievement in my life would bring you the greatest joy?

(9) What can I do to indicate to you my desire to be more like Jesus?

(10) What mutual goal, or goals would you like to see us accomplish together?

May I suggest that you share these questions with your spouse and see how you can understand each other better? It may just result in you both becoming, “the heirs together of the grace of life.” May God help you take your marriage and your life to a whole new level!

Peace-

Jeff

On Monday we moved our daughter Annie down to college for the start of her junior year. Annie’s a great kid, and she’s doing fantastic in college. She’s a wonderful student, a great athlete and leader on her volleyball team. So we found ourselves giving her one of those mom and dad pep talks. Really what we were doing is what Jesus often did with His disciples as He challenged them to look beyond what they saw with their natural eyes. He wanted them to look beyond this natural field of wheat, and see a world that needed to hear the Good News.

Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4:35

It’s what we were doing with Annie as we talked about what this year could look like. We were trying to help her paint a picture of what this next year could look like. God reminds us that people without vision perish, or we could say, they end up living below God’s best because they lost their vision for what life could be like. It’s too bad, but people often limit themselves to their natural vision, but God has so much more for us. Our hope was to help Annie see that a good year could be transformed into a great year by looking to set bigger goals for herself and her team.

Vision—Biblical vision is not what you see with your natural eyes, but what you see with the eyes of your heart. It’s not what “is”, it’s what “could be”. He wants us to use our faith and look beyond the natural fields in our life, and grasp the reality of what is possible.

Are you living below God’s best for your life? What do you see? Is it time to “lift up your eyes” and see beyond your circumstances? Maybe it’s time to looks beyond your present disappointments, your present heartaches, or maybe even your present position at work. So lift up your eyes, what do you see with the eyes of your heart? Begin to paint a new picture for your life. Is it a picture of a healthy marriage, and happy and blessed family, is it a new job or a brand new course in life? It’s up to you, will you do it today, will you take some time with God and “lift up your eyes” with Him. Remember, He said, what’s impossible with man IS possible with God, so lift up your eyes and dream big!