Q Crashing

Upright citizens bless a city and make it prosper, but he talk of the wicked tears it down. Proverbs 11:11 I don’t know if we think about blessing our city near enough.  I’m enamored with it. And to be honest I used to be the opposite.  I was the guy who always griped about what the city wasn’t doing and how there wasn’t anything fun to do in the city and when I grow up I’m not living here.  That was me.  But it is funny how time, perspective, and scripture can help to change a man.   A pastor at a conference I attended recently said we need to be critics less and students more.  It’s easy to criticize things we don’t like or agree with, but it’s not really a fair criticism until we know the subject.  When it comes to our city, we need to become students of it.  Do you know our city council?  Do you know our mayor?  Do you know the Parks and Rec director?  Have you listened to their ideas for what the future could hold? If we are walking upright then we should become a bles

So she seduced him with her pretty speech.  With her flattery she enticed him. Proverbs 7:21 It really has to do with our insecurities.  We want to say something so that someone will think we are special.  Men want to be impressive and be revered.  Women want to feel loved and desirable.  And we all turn to our words to get a cheap injection of it.  And most of the time we go down the roads of pretty speech and flattery because we were to weak and lazy to do it right.   Let me explain.  We many times choose the cheapest product.  It takes the least resources to accomplish the task.  We might get Dr. Thunder instead of Dr. Pepper.  Cocoa Rocks instead of Cocoa Puffs.  And for the most part we are satisfied.  There might be slight differences, but we are okay with it, because the product is cheaper, which means we had to work less for it.  I remember when that paradigm shifted for me. It was the day I discovered Cottonelle toilet paper.   See I had always been taught just

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Proverbs 5:21 So much of our life is hidden at varying degrees from various people.  The first and last of my days usually spent in my bathroom or on my couch are reserved to me.  My wife and kids are spectators to the majority of the time in my home.  It is usually a comedy by the way.  Co workers see me daily at work.  Life group hangs out with me once or twice a week.  Friends get some time here and there.  And on Sunday the whole church gets just a peek at what makes me, me.   But God sees it all.  He sees it clearly.  So clearly that he knows intention behind decision. Intention. I would love to say that the reason I played football was to use the abilities God had given me to create a platform to share his name to the world around me.  My intentions, looked something a bit different.  Girls and glory (mine not God’s).  It was really shallow. And God knows our intentions.  We can trick peop

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” Proverbs 4:23 There is a term I heard so much growing up that was used synonymously with salvation. It was this: “Give your heart to the Lord.” And the recent church has got up in arms about how this is bad theology and I think they are right. Our salvation is not based on our giving God anything. From what I can tell it is based on our belief in Jesus as our Savior. So I understand why people don’t use it as much anymore. I understand the teaching correcting it. But if I’m honest . . . I really like it. Not as a theological statement on salvation, but as a love story. For me there was this moment when the beauty of God’s love became as clear as I've seen it on this side. His love became so much deeper than all the longings that the world has to offer. His promises were so much richer than anything I’ve ever seen. Career, money, power, notoriety, toys, houses, relationships: they all make offer

“Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart.” Proverbs 3:3 I started thinking about the things that can “get away from you” today. Race cars get away from people. “Dale Jr, what happened in the second curve on lap 53?” “Well Stan, she just got away from me, you know.” Diets. “Hey, I thought you were on a diet?” “I was, but I saw this pizza buffet and it just got away from me.” Two year olds. “How did Harlow get in the fire ant bed?” “I was watching her, and then this football play on TV, and she just got away from me.” These things usually happen against our best intentions. The writer says to put loyalty and kindness around your neck. Let people see it. Our own pride and ego tries so hard to make us unloyal thinking that if we talk down those we are under or our bosses that in some way we shine brighter than them. But loyalty squeezes humility out of us. Instead of talking down those

Proverbs 2 "He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.  He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity." Proverbs 2:7 Man I love shields.  Sometimes I walk around and pretend I have a shield on my arm and and sword in the other hand.  When you study the Spartans, their greatest weapon was their shield.  It is the quintessential defensive tool but it can also be used as an offensive weapon.  I mean look at Captain America.  Shield Mastery. The shield Solomon is talking about is wisdom and the way to ensure you are protected with wisdom is integrity.  In old farmer talk, "No one believes what you say unless you act like you say." We can spout all the wisdom we like, but if we aren't walking in integrity we are just kidding ourselves. I remember walking into the college weight room for the first time.  I couldn't wait to work out with the other guys and try to show off my strength.  I wanted to impress all my new teammates.  As I wal

“For they are simpletons who turn away from me to death. They are fools, and their own complacency will destroy them.” Proverbs 1:32 Don’t quit moving!!! I’ve started working out and helping the Crossville Soccer team. It’s been great. I’ve always loved the weight room and coaching is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done. First day in I told all the guys we have three rules.   Rule 1: We never give up. Rule 2: Encourage your teammate. Rule 3: Always get better. These are great rules in the weight room, but if I’m honest they’re great rules for life in Christ as well. It’s incredible that Solomon writes "their own complacency will destroy them." Wisdom was trying to get their attention but they were just comfortable to let things keep going the same way and not pay attention to the things that really needed to change. That is so me some days, both toward wisdom and toward God! I would like to act as if my pursuit of intimacy and knowledge of God was a g