If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, neighbor, family friend, married, or single, then this is for you. If there is a child in your life, consider yourself blessed. Through this child, you have a chance to influence a future you will not see.

Being a parent is the most exciting, fulfilling, defeating, exhilarating, upsetting, amazing, frustrating, emotional, and demanding journey you will take—ever! I am the proud father of three adults. Their mom, Kim, is right there with me, and I have not forgotten that she made a far greater sacrifice for these kids than I did.

There’s a famous quote from the early 1600s that has framed my thinking for most of my years as a pastor. There is great debate about who wrote this phrase, but it has stood the test of time anonymously:

“In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

There are basic principles in which most Christians agree: the Bible as God’s word, the Deity of Christ, the birth, death, resurrection, and second coming of Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, just to name a few. 

Churched, un-churched, de-churched, over-churched, under-churched—just about everyone has something in their past which, when brought back to mind, can cause them to second-guess themselves.

It can make people insecure in themselves and in their relationships with God. But here’s what I want you to know:

 If you and God have dealt with it, you’re done with it.

This past Sunday, I did my best to give a CliffsNotes description of a topic which has had volumes written about it a variety of places: commentaries, dictionaries, seminaries, sermons, books by numerous authors--and I gave it thirty minutes! I’d hate to have an instant thumbs up or thumbs down from the congregation at the end of that message.  But it appears from many comments that it was helpful, although simple.

Before I tell you more, I must tell you about a Holy Spirit moment I had right after the 9:15 a.m. service.  It was so moving for me that I had difficulty getting my composure back before the next service.  

Earlier this week, as part of my Dangerous Prayers post, I mentioned that I’m known as the “reluctant pastor” because being the lead pastor of a church wasn’t what I planned to do with my life. But, as the saying goes, if you want to make God laugh, make a plan!

I'm known by my friends and family as the "reluctant pastor." This nickname isn’t because I don't love the church, or my job, but because I never thought that would be who I am today. When my little church in Oklahoma captured my heart over 35 years ago, I agreed to help with their youth (12 kids) and their choir (16 voices).