Ridgell's Originals

 We've all been down that road before.  Christian resolutions that focus on results.  And often pretty fuzzy, hard to define Christian results.

"I am going to a better parent/spouse."

"I am going to be more spiritual."

"I am going to stop drinking, gossipping, or ..."

"I am going to study the Bible more."

Very results driven.  And these are not bad results.  Just really hard to measure.

But what if we made resolutions/focused on concrete processess.  Processes over time that would lead to the very results we desire.

I will take my wife on a date every month.

I will read one chapter a day in my Bible.

I will get an accountability partner and be honest about my journey.

I will be sure my spouse has the passwords to all my social media.

I will invite my neighbors over for supper and get to know them.

I will join a small group for fellowship, Bible study, and prayer.

Well, you get the idea.  

Less grand, unmeasurable resolutions.

More down to earth, practical resolutions that actually help me get to the place I want to be.

God bless your year.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 It is hard to move forward when you spend your time looking backward.  

This is the time of year when people make New Year's resolutions.  Most of these center on things we want to be better.  So we resolve to stop doing certain things.  And we resolve to start doing certain things.  Almost every one of them is related to something we want to change.

So you start your resolution list by focusing on all the things you are not satisfied with.  Looking the wrong direction.

Here is the first resolution.  Let the past go.

Full disclosure:  I stole this idea from the apostle Paul in Philippians 2.  But it is really good advice.

I am Christian so that influences my thinking about everything.  If you too are a Christian, your past is forgiven.  It is as if it never happened.  I know there are consequences to deal with, but forgiveness is real.  Some of your resolutions may involve things that help you stay on a different road than the one you used to travel.  That's fine, but do not dwell on where you have been.

If Satan cannot keep you living your past life, he will make you obsess over the consequences.  He will try to get you to dwell on your previous sin.  Don't let him.   

Live the new you.

But some of you may be thinking that you don't really have a past to forget.  You actually did pretty well last year.  And if you keep looking back at what you did, it will be easy to stop doing in the future.  Rest on your laurels as it were.

Satan will then get you to start thinking about why you may never again do what you did.  So why even try?  Bask in the glory of days gone by.  That way you won't do anything going forward.

So let the past go.  

If it was not want God wanted, then live your forgiveness going forward.

If it was what God wanted, then get started on the next great God adventure.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Joy to the world.  Today is a day of good news.  A Savior has been born.

We sing it.  We put it on Facebook.  We quote Philippians 4:4 (the command to rejoice).

And many of us feel it.  All the time.  Relentlessly happy.

But I do think it is healthy to realize that joy is sometimes "in spite of..."

Because some of us are doing Christmas this year without someone we love.  My family is.  And I just got thru with three funerals in five days.  But as believers, we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  We live in the joyful certainty that we will all be together again.  Smiles thru the tears.

Some are sick and it is hard.  Bills.  And pain.  Uncertainty for the future.  Except we believe.  We ask for healings.  Elders annoint.  Church family prays.  We let God redeem the pain for His glory.  And we rejoice that our sickness will be healed.  Here.  Or in heaven.

But I really messed up this year.  How can I be happy about that?  God forgives.  We rejoice over the one lost sheep that gets found.  We throw parties for the prodigals.  If that is you, we are happy.  You can be also.

Last year was brutal.  And we Christians specialize in leaving the past behind.  We look forward.  We keep our eyes on the heaven goal.  Keeps us happy.

But about the next Covid variant.  Or the next pandemic.  God is bigger.  We are content/happy/joyful because nothing in this life can take away our salvation.  

Whatever happens, we Christians are going home forever.  

That makes me happy.

So if you are reading this and are really not happy, we Christians can share the secret.  In fact, we want to.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

Was Jesus born on Christmas day?  Some churches go out of their way to celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus.  A time to celebrate joy, hope, peace, and love.  Candlelight services on Chritmas Eve.  Nativity plays.  Others go out of their way to not make Christmas any different.  Carefully explaining why we ought to celebrate every Sunday -- even every day -- the same.  Except of course, they rarely celebrate anything.

And both of these miss the point.  Burying the lead so to speak.

The point is not what day Jesus was born.  The point is that he was born at all.  That God sent His own Son into the world to live among us.  That he grew up and showed us how to live.  That he died so our sins could be forgiven.  That he was raised, defeating death for all time.

Make Christmas a big deal at church.  Or don't.  

But you better make Jesus a big deal.  

And if you want to celebrate, get after it.  Churches don't celebrate enough.

Celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Celebrate his resurrection.

Celebrate the new births.  Physical births among our church.  Even better, celebrate spiritual new births.  We need more baptism parties.

Celebrate the prodigals who come home.

If you don't want to make Christmas a big deal, then don't.  But maybe lay off the sermons about how churches that do have it all wrong.

If you want to make Christmas a big deal, then do.  But maybe lay off the sermons about how churches that do not just don't get it.

But above all, hold up Jesus.

And let's have more joy in our assemblies.  After all...

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

That is the real message. 

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I love Christmas.  My family loves Christmas.  People everywhere are thinking and talking about Christmas.  And talking about Jesus.  

What a great opportunity for Christians to share their faith.

So are three things I hope you remember to say this Christmas.

Christmas is not a season.  It is year round.  Don't misunderstand.  This is not a bash Christmas and a Christian bah humbug.  I think it is great to talk about God sending his son into the world.  But that is not just good news in December.  Maybe we ought to do Christmas sermons in July.  And yes, of course I have.  Or do the Advent series in October.  Sing Joy to the World in March.  We need to be saying this is an all the time celebration.

We need to be talking about the baby Jesus that grew up.  He did not stay a baby.  Cute little baby Jesus does not intimidate anyone.  But the baby that grew up to change this world demands our attention.  He grew up to face temptation and sorrow.  And did not give in.  He gets it.  

The baby came to die.  That was the whole point.  He grew up and died for our sins.  He came to be our Saviour.  Joy to the world.  And that happened when he paid for our sins on the cross.  

So celebrate Christmas.  All year.

Talk about the Jesus that lived among us.

Talk about the Jesus that died.  And why that matters.

Merry Christmas.

Joy to the World.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

You will get to visit with them this holiday season.  The Prodigals.  People who once committed to Jesus but have wandererd away.  Some have outright rejected their faith.  Others have moved to a far country where they are living as prodigals.  Some have just drifted out of their faith orbit.

And you will see them at Christmas.  Some will be family members.  Some will show up with their parents at a Christmas worship service.  You will hear them talking at work or in the neighborhood.

Uncomfortable.  Combative.  Confused.  Wondering.  Wishful.

Some will be thinking about coming back to their faith.  They may feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to come home.  

So how can we help.

Be welcoming.  You do not have to ask where they have been.  Or try and convince them to come back.  Maybe you just hold their hand in the family prayer.  Maybe tell them it is good to see them at the service.

Be happy they are there. 

If they engage in any kind of spiritual discussion... be happy.  Listen to them.  It is even OK to express a different viewpoint.  But be loving.  Always loving.  

I tend to think Christmas is one of the best opportunities to engage with the prodigals.  The lost sheep.  The ones who left.  

Be welcoming.  Be open to conversation.  Invite.  Live your faith.  

Say the prayer at the meal.  Go to church.  Read the gospel account of the birth.

Maybe you will touch a heart.  

Maybe it will be the start of the journey home.

So start praying now.  Pray for the prodigals you know and those you may encounter.

Ask for wisdom to recognize opportunities to speak.  For wisdom to know what to say.

And for courage to speak the truth in love.

Labels: Christmas, prodigals

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 This is the time when churches are finalizing plans and budgets for next year.

Here are three things I pray churches will be clear about.

Sell out for Jesus.  We must call our members to live like Jesus.  Serve others.  Live in the light as forgiven people.  Call each other to a higher standard of conduct.  Be kind to everyone.  Help people.  Be known for our love.  

Dig in on Scripture.  Let this be the year churches stop apologizing for what the Bible says.  Do not try and force the Bible to say what it does not say.  But stand firm on what it does say.  Do not let culture define truth.  God has done that.  We may not be popular in culture.  But we will be attractive to those who are looking for truth in a world that constantly rewrites the rules.

Stay on mission.  Tell the good news of Jesus to a lost and dying world.  Our world needs forgiveness.  Jesus offers it.  So we need to not just live forgiven, we must be telling the world that news.  What people do with that news is up to them.  We must give them the opportunity.  

I get how trite and simplistic this seems, but many churches struggle with these three foundational concepts.  They are hard to live.  

So church leaders:  start by setting the expectations.  Hold these up as core convictions.  Then model how to live these for your church.  Talk about them.  Show how they look in practice.

This is a time for courage and strength.

The harvest is great.

Let's get in the field and go to work.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

Some dreams for church leadership in 2022.

What if elders went all out in looking for the one lost sheep?  Contacted the members of your flock that have wandered away?  Elder's wives that did actual mentoring with young wives and mothers?  How about elders that got directly involved in the loves of struggling believers who need someone to pray with them, walk alongside of them, and speak truth into their lives?

While members were encouraged to call the elders when they see a marriage in crisis, or to call elders to let them know someone in the hospital had taken a turn for the worse.  Members doing ministry but calling elder couples when more spiritual wisdom is needed.

What if preachers decided this was the year to do less ministry and more evangelism?  Preachers that told the assembly to please contact them if they wanted to know more about Jesus.  Preachers who met visitors with an invitation to answer their questions or to talk about Jesus.

While members were encouraged to call the staff when they were talking to non-beleivers and needed help answering questions or with next steps.  Members doing lministry and evangelism and using evangelists when they needed more help.

How about deacons who said we will identify and take care of members in need?  Servants and servant couples involved in making sure needs were met.  

While members called deacons when they identified a need that was more than they could do on their own.  Members doing ministry but calling for the identified servants when they needed additional resources.

Members doing ministry led by the deacons.

Preachers commiting to evangelism.

Elders doing spiritual leadership and restoration.

Churches would boom.  

Or we can keep doing church the way we always have and hope this year things will be different. 

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments