Ridgell's Originals

 So my son Joe Don and his wife Jamie have been married 22 years tomorrow.  I love them and here are a few of the reasons I am proud of them as a couple.  

They use their home as a Kingdom outpost.  Lots of people talk about opening their home to others.  Joe Don and Jamie do it.  Church groups, youth activities, kid's friends (lots of them), their friends, family.  They let people stay there.  They feed lots of people there.  Wedding and baby showers.

They are still crazy about each other.  It's fun to see them flirt.  They still date.  They put each other before the kids. They always speak well of each other to others.   

They are better together than either one of them is alone.  They are each good at different things but they respect that and appreciate that.  It makes them a really good team. 

They love well.  They love Jesus and his people.  They love each other.  They love their kids and they love their parents.  They love their extended family.  They love friends, neighbors, and their kid's classmates.  

They are great role models.  For younger couples.  For young families.  They are willing to talk, pray, study with people needing help and guidance.  

Each of them would have made the world a better place by themselves.  Together they are real Jesus power couple. 

So God thanks for putting Joe Don and Jamie together.  You did an amazing thing.  Thanks for the kids they are raising. Thanks for you have done thru them and what you will do thru them. 

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

Most of you know it is a custom of mine to post something about my family members on birthdays and anniversaries.  So my son Joe Don turns 44 tomorrow.  Here are a few reasons I am proud of him.  

When I tell people he is my son I always hear good things.  I know some people are so nice that they would not say bad things, but the response is always immediate and positive.  It has been that way for a long time.  When people that know him meet me the first words out of their mouth are always "you must be so proud", or "you raised a great son".  And they inevitably have a story about how he has impacted their life.

He really invests in people.  Three kids, two of which are teenagers.  He is intentional to spend quality time with each of them individually and collectively.  And that is after he spends time with Jamie.  Then he finds time to invest in extended family.  Parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.  He is the person you want as a friend.  He will be in your corner.

Gives great advice.  Well thought out.  Practical.  

All of this is built on his relationship with Jesus. 

Joe Don is my son.  I love him and I am proud of him.  He is worth listening to.

So thanks God for Joe Don.  Bless him as a husband, Dad, brother, uncle, and friend.  Protect him from the evil one.  Continue to do great things in him and thru him for the kingdom.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Many of you know that I worked full-time for Herald of Truth for almost twenty years.  I worked for three different full-time Presidents and one interim President.  I even worked for myself for about a year when I was interim.

I still work for them, just part-time.  

I will still be speaking at various Herald of Truth events.  I will be doing my evangelism seminars as part of MEA (Mission Evangelize America).  I will still write some for them.  But I won't be doing much overseas work and I will not be doing as much travel as in the past.

Things change.  Leaders make decisions.  

Herald of Truth still wants to equip churches to reach lost people.  President Greg Swindle has a very clear vision as to how to do that.  And I will be part of that plan.  Just on a more limited basis.

So I am still working for Herald of Truth.  

But that is what has given me the time to go to work for Hillcrest.  Part-time.  

So I get to motivate, equip, and inspire Christians to share the good news of Jesus in their world.  And I get to be active doing that personally.  

Oh yeah.  I still do seminars and Jesus story telling events on my own.  Men's retreats and multi-church events.  

So I am as busy as ever.  

And I should be.  God is doing great things in Abilene, the United States, and all over the world.  I want to be part of his mission until He is ready to take me home.

So for those of you that were curious about what happened with Herald of Truth, maybe this will explain it.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I just finished up another period of time preaching for the Winters church of Christ.  Winters is a small town and so the church is small.  Probably 70 on a good Sunday.  Sometimes as low as 40.  Everyone wants to go to a larger church.  Preachers do.  Families do.  And I am not saying they are wrong.  

But there are some spiritual experiences you only get in small churches.  Things larger churches don't have.  Or at least not in obvious ways.

Everyone has to get involved.  You can't sit in little churches.  Meals, Bible classes, and serving.  No hiding as an interested observer in small churches.

Your contribution matters.  You know it and so do the leaders.

You know everyone.  For better or worse.  You can't hide in small churches.  They miss you when you are not there.

So they know when you need help and they step up.  And you know when someone needs help and you step up.  

Small churches are like the life groups many big churches try to cultivate.  By nature, that is how they function.  Deeper relationships, more accountablility, more responsibility.

But if you don't want those things, do not go to a small church.  Find somewhere to go be anonymous.  Where no one realizes you are gone, much less misses you.  Where it is no big deal if you skip your contribution one week.

So thanks Winters for showing me a glimpse of why real community matters and why it is easier to find in small churches.  So yes, I hope you grow the Kingdom in Winters.  But keep that small church feel.  After all, that may be what church is really all about.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I have taken a part-time position as Local Evangelist with the Hillcrest church of Christ in Abilene, TX.  Here are just a few reasons why Hillcrest is the right choice.

It was where we were going to church.  Well, sort of going.  I still preach out of town several Sundays and we were preaching down at Winters when in town.  But Hillcrest is where we decided to "headquarter".  It just fits our view of Scripture and church.  And a lot of our old Souther Hills flock are there.  Plus we knew so many people (after all, it's Abilene).  

Their eldership was very impressive in talking about this.  They talked about advancing the Kingdom, reaching people for Jesus.  Not just growing Hillcrest.  They were interested in someone doing evangelism, not directing a program.  And equipping others to share their faith, not doing it for them.

I know and like the staff at Hillcrest.  Because they buy in to the mission.  They want to see a great harvest of souls here.  

The view of evangelism is healthy.  Focused on process, not results.  They leave the results to God.  

There is a healthy view reaching lost sheep.  They want to reach non-believers and used to be believers.  And helping struggling believers and those in crisis.  

Finally, this is not something new at Hillcrest.  They are evangalistic.  They already talk to people about Jesus.  They are already growing the Kingdom.  This is not a "start-up" effort.  This is a "let's do even more" effort.

So we prayed lots and God put this together.

Right time and right place for us.

And truth be told, we are just getting support for what we would be doing anyway.  

Just like it should be.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 1 comments

 I write a lot of obituaries because I do a lot of funerals.  So I decided a while back to occasionally do living tributes.  Honor to whom honor is due.

Tim Archer.

Tim is probably my best preaching buddy.  I have known him since college and he has always been committed to Jesus, very smart, and a talented minister.  About fifteen years ago, I was blessed to be able to hire him to lead our Spanish speaking ministries at Herald of Truth.  He now directs all the foreign ministry for Herald of Truth.

So here are a few things I admire about Tim.

What you see is what you get with Tim.  He doesn't put on airs, is very humble, and means what he says.  He is one of my go-to guys for advice, insight, and help.  

He loves his family.  His wife Carolina and his kids really are the most important people in his life after Jesus.  He loves his spiritual family at University church of Christ in Abilene.  Serves as an elder there.

He is a gifted minister.  Good preacher in English,  Great preacher in Spanish.  Fantastic writer.  Evangelistic.  Good thinker.  Knows Scripture.  And knows how it all fits together.  If i could only listen to one Bible class teacher, it would be Tim.

He is legendary in the Spanish speaking churches of Christ.  Spent a couple of decades planting a church in Cordaba, Argentina.  In high demand for speaking events in Latin America.  Popular speaker on radio.  Writes in Spanish.  And traveling with Tim in Cuba is like traveling with a rock star.  He is really loved there.

And never too busy or too important to translate for guys like me.  

You need to read his books.  Church Inside Out.  Starting (or Restarting with Jesus).

So I count Tim as one of the great blessings in my life.  Well deserving of a living tribute.  

Besides, I won's do his eulegy since he should outlive me by several years.  :)

So thank you God for Tim Archer.  For all that you have done thru him and for all that you will do thru him in the future.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Kent Rideout was a good friend.  I first knew him in my Youth Group back in the early 70's.  Later we served together as elders.  Lots of lunches together talking about leadership, evangelism, and being better husbands, Dads, and grandfathers.  Encouraging, spiritual, and real.

And he was killed last Sunday in a motorcycle accident at age 65.

So Monday I will be doing his funeral.

But I have been hearing verses in my head ever since I got the news.  And that reminds me why we need to know Scripture.  So at times when it is hard to process what is happening, you will hear God.

So...

I Thessalonians 4.  Three things I think about with Kent.  I am a hope griever.  I grieve the loss of Kent.  I'll miss our lunches.  I will miss his counsel.  It seems to soon.  So of course I grieve.  For me.  For his family.  For his friends.  But I will not grieve as one without hope.  

Because of Jesus.  I believe Kent is with Jesus and I will be too someday.  

So I am using this conviction to comfort those of us who are hurting.

Philippians 1.  Paul talks about how he thanks God everytime he remembers the Philippians.  I am so thankful for memories.  For the things that remind us of the loved ones who got home before us.  So I'll think about Kent when eating Mexican food.  Or talking about mission in Thailand and China.  When I see a motorcycle and remember how he loved life.  

And Hebrews 12.  The cloud of witnesses.  Heroes of the faith.  Surrounding me as I run my race.  Kent among that crowd now.  Cheering on his family.  Cheering me on.  Helping me stay focused on the finish line.  

So God, thanks for Kent.  Bless his family and friends with the comfort of the hope of heaven.  With you.  Forever.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 2 comments

 Is God really going to count our sins against us if we did not know the action was a sin?  Or what if someone told us it was not a sin?  Surely God will not keep us from heaven becuase of ignorance.

Yes He will.

I was reading in Leviticus about the guilt of unintenional sin.  God is clear that ignorance does not excuse sin.  Because sin is not about us.  It is about God.

God is a holy God.  Sin cannot be in His presence.  Sin will keep us away from God.  It may be easier to believe ignorance is a basis for not holding your sins against you.  But it is not.  

That is why God sent Jesus to die for our sins.  All our sins. So we can live in the presence of a Holy God. That is why you believe in Jesus.  To have forgiveness of your sins.  The ones you know about ... and the ones you don't know about.

So you can be in the presence of God forever.

Because I want to follow Jesus, I do want to put to death the sin in my life.  So it is important to identify sin and to deal with it in my life.  So read your Bible.  Don't live in intentional ignorance of what sin is.  Don't expect your church or preacher to be the definitive word for sin.  The Bible does that.  

And a word to Christian leaders.  Stop approving of evil.  That is a strong admonition in Romans 1 to not approve of the sins that lead to death.  

Because not knowing what sin is will not benefit you.  It will still separate you from God because He does know what sin is.  And it will not be in his presence.

Holy.  No sin. 

And yes I do believe we are holy because of Jesus.  His blood takes our sin away.

Thank you Jesus.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Covid.  School shootings.  Fires.  Cancer.  Drunk drivers.  Old age.

Fear.  Anger.  Demands that something be done.  

Christians wondering what to say or do.

So here is where I think we start.  Teaching the truth about death from a Christian perspective.  

We have not done very well with this.  Trying to protect our kids.  Or ourselves.  Thinking we will stop being afraid if we do not face it.

So...

First.  Death happens.  We are all going to die unless the Lord comes first.  Every. Single. One. Of. Us.  Some will be old.  Some young.  But we all die.  Death was never in God's plan.  The Garden and the Tree of Life.  Bad choices.  And death enters.  God raised Jesus from the dead to defeat death.  The resurrection robs death of its power. 

So let's talk about death.  Let's die with faith.  Let's remember that this world is not our home.  Our home is coming after we die in this world.  Real life comes after death.  

Because Christains have already died.  Read Romans 6 and Galatians 2.  We were crucified with Christ when we were baptized.  We were baptized into his death.  When we decided to die and be raised with Jesus in baptism we gave up our life.  We have already died.

So quit living like you are scared to die.  

And the only answer to death is Jesus.  Death comes from the evil one.  Life comes from Jesus.  I have had three calls today about death and dying. 

Sickness and natural disasters were never the plan.  But we messed it up like we still do.  And God sent Jesus to fix it.  And he will when he comes again and the dead in Christ rise.

So you want to do something about the evil that produces muder and tragedy?

Live Jesus.  Talk about Jesus because every time you make a disciple you deal a crippling blow to the power of death.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments