Ridgell's Originals

 My son Joe Don turns 45 today.  As is my custom, here are a few reasons I love him and am so proud of him.

He is not perfect.  He knows that and he works on his weak spots so they do not become problems.  That is what strong Christians do.

He is a good husband.  Loves Jamie.  Puts her before himself.  Leads his family in following Jesus.  I know all this because his wife Jamie often thanks us raising the man she fell in love with.

Great Dad.  I watch him with each of his three kids.  Takes time with each of them.  Talks about things that matter.  Showing his daughter the kind of man she will want to marry.  Showing his two boys how a strong Christian man lives in this world.  

He is wise and gives good advice.  I ask him often for advice.  So do his friends.  And his kids (and even their friends).  He is gentle, Christ-like, and practical in what he shares.

I am not really sure how much JD gets to do just for himself.  Too busy with what Jamie would like to do, and doing everything with his kids.  Even doing what his extended family likes.  Gives up himself to do with and for others.

He will be the leader of his family.  His extended family.  Our family.  I will pass that touch to him soon and we will all be better for it.  

Every Dad wants his son to be a better man than he was.  It doesn't always happen.  But it has for me.  

Because of Jesus.  Jesus is the reason Joe Don is who he is.

And I am thankful

He is my son.  I love him.  We should all listen to him.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 It will be 23 years this Saturday.  Joe Don and Jamie.  Here are a few of the reasons I am proud of them as a couple and why I love them so much.

They really work together as a team.  Raising three strong, faithful kids.  Juggling work schedules.  Finding time for each other.  It really takes teamwork.  No resentment.  No worrying about who is doing the most.  Just working together to get it done.

They are really family oriented.  Obviously with each other and with their kids.  But extended family too.  Both sides.  We are all invited to everything.  Always welcome.

They are great role models.  They are the family that young couples want to be.  In love.  Great kids.  Not perfect, but happy.  Content.  

They are centered in the Jesus life.  They each love Jesus more than anything.  Teaching their kids to love Jesus more than anything.  That makes them a power couple/power family for Jesus.  People that hang around them get exposed to Jesus.  Get encouraged to follow Jesus.  Get invited to become a Jesus follower.  

Finally, I am proud of them because they are not perfect.  I know them.  I see them up close.  There are things they want to get better at doing.  They are constantly working on improving their Jesus walk.  They shore up weak spots in their relationship before they turn into problems.  They carry the load for each other when one is a little off their game.  

And that's what makes me love them.

God did a great thing when he put them together.  

They are blessing many lives.

Thank you God for Joe Don and Jamie.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 If you really wnat to reach people for Jesus, here is where you can start. 

Pray.  

Ask God to bring people into your life that are seeking Jesus, even if they do not realize it yet.

Ask God to help you see them when they do show up.  And they will.

Ask God to give you the right words to say, the right invitation to make, and the right story to share.

Ask God to give you the courage to speak up.

If you want your church to be more evangelistic, pray as a congregation.

Ask God to bring people into your church who are seeking.

Ask God to help you see them.

Ask God to give you the right words, stories, invitations to share,

Ask Him to give your church the courage to speak.

Pray for people you want to reach by name.   

My church spends a lot of time sharing names of those we are trying to reach for Jesus.  We have prayer lists and prayer warriors.  Our Bible class prayer time has a lot of faimily needs expressed, but they are also filled with names of those we are trying to share Jesus with.

So if you really want to know the secret to becoming a disciple maker, or to having your church really become evangelistic... 

Just pray.

But a word of caution.  Only pray if you really mean it.

Becasuse God does answer prayer.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I get asked the question often from church leaders.

Help us develop an evangelism plan.  Share with us the program you use at your church for evangelism.  Do your seminars have a "how-to" componant you can train us in?

No, no, and no.

But not because I am selfish or because I want to be paid to sell evangelism kits.

It is because I don't think evangelistic churches, or evangelistic Christians, have programs or scripts to work from. 

Making disciples is not something you really train for, or something you reduce to a series of steps.

You can help Christians learn to live with an awareness of the need to share their faith.  

You can even help Christians learn to develop their story so they are comfortable sharing their testimony as to what Jesus has done.

You can equip Christians to study the Bible in ways that make sense to non-believers..

And we can certainly inspire and motivate each other to be disciple makers.

Churches can even talk about how to have an evangelism componant to the activities and ministries they do have.  Things such as benevolence, or marriage seminars, or Truck or Treat, etc.

Preachers can even learn how to preach evangelistic sermons.

But the key to being evangelistic, sharing your faith, making disciples is something you cannot put in a program or an activity.

It is a heart issue above all else.  We live in a fallen world and Jesus is the only answer.  People around you are lost without Jesus.  Jesus saved you.  You can talk about that.  You can share what Jesus has done.  You can serve people in the name of Jesus.  You can invite people to hear Jesus stories.  You can even ask people if they would like to see what the Bible says about Jesus.

But you will only do these things if you love Jesus and love people.

And that is not something you plan or program.

Because plans and programs do not have to come from the heart.  They may, but it is not required.  Plans and programs are something you work and real evangelism does not last when reduced to a series of steps.

So here is the only plan/program/outline for evangelism I know.

Talk a lot about Jeuss.  

To everybody you can.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 We were a young preacher and wife with two small kids out in East Texas.  It was a great ministry and a lot of people came to know Jesus.  But there were also some hard things.  People that did not want to do anything differently than they ever had.  And I was pretty immature and fighting some of my own demons.

We needed "parents" that would love us and love our kids.  Support, affirmation, advice, wisdom, and love. There were a lot of people in that church who did that for us. 

But the Elmores, Edges, Talberts, and Crosses were especially there for us.  

They were not perfect couples or families.  But they were faithful.

We did evangelism together.  Worked thru spiritual crisis together.  Grew the Kingdom together.

These couples showed us what good marriages looked like.  They showed us how to live like Jesus.  They loved our kids just like another set of grandkids.

We thought we appreciated them then.  And since.  Thought we loved them.

But the other day we went to the funeral of the last of those eight precious people.  

They are all in heaven now and I look forward to the day I can see them again and thank them for helping us grow up.  And for helping me get to heaven.

So here's the other thing I want to learn from them.

I pray that Marsha and I are mentoring some young families.  By our example, by our words, by our life.

You have had people like this in your life.

Be thankful and return the favor.

Thank you God for these couples that took care of us -- and countless others -- just like we were their own.  And more importantly, because we were yours.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 1 comments

 We first met Martha Edge and her husband Darvin when I was a young preacher in East Texas, so I have know the Edge family for 40 years.  We were at her funeral last week and heard her son Mark talk about her influence. Visited with Martha's daughter Lissa.  Heard a lot of people talking about Martha' influence.  Saw a lot of pictures that brought back a lot of memories.

But here are a few things that really stood out to me about Martha Edge.  Things I think worth trying to copy in my life.

Legacy.  I thought a lot about what Martha left behind and how she was being remembered.  Her family is a Jesus family.  Her son and daughter both work at churches.  Grands that are believers.  Not a perfect family, but a family of faith.  Friends.  She had a lot of friends.  From all over.  People she helped, people she loved, people she gave advice to.  Her influence will last a long, long time.

Contenment.  Martha lost Darvin almost 40 years ago.  Grieved him, missed him for all these years.  But she went on with life.  Kept her faith.  Her son Mark is a preacher (and a good one).  She moved several times to be near Mark and his family.  Not so they could take care of her, but so she could help them.  Mark and Judy adopted two kids to go along with the two they had.  Took some effort to raise them.  Martha saw it as part of her ministry to help.  Never complained about it.  Content in Jesus.

Martha knew the Bible.  She was a very smart woman.  She studied her Bible and knew it.  Better than that, she taught it.  Referred to the Bible in conversations, in spiritual counseling, and in teaching.  

Well done Martha.  Glad you get to see Darvin and your other people.  

Enjoy heaven.

We'll be along directly.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 A few weeks ago I led our congregational communion thoughts on the God of the poor.  As a church, we have been studying James and that morning the emphasis was on the God who cares for the poor.

We talked about how we were all one body, the poor and the rich.  In this life together with God.

We pointed out the three kinds of poor people in the assembly that morning.

Those in financial poverty.  The ones who do not exactly know how they are going to make ends meet the next month.  Or even the next week.  In all honesty, we do not have very many who literally worry about what they will eat from day to day.  But we do have several that we give extra too from our church meals together.  And it is needed and appreciated.  And we have some on the other extreme.  Sharing one loaf together in communion.

We have those that are emotionally poor and broken.  Every week in our assembly.  The marriages that are not rich in love and togetherness.  Those struggling with family dynamics.  The ones trapped in grief from the loss of a parent, mate, child, or close friend.  Those who cannot feel the joy of the Lord.  Battling anger and depression.  And we have some on the other end.  Life is good and they are living rejoicing in the day that the Lord has made.  All together sharing the blood of Jesus.

There are those that are spiritually bankrupt.  Living in a far country but showed up anyway.  Battling their addictions, overwhelmed by the guilt of secret sins, and knowing they are one of the lost sheep.  And those on the other extreme.  Not just walking the Jesus journey, but running toward Jesus.  Making a real difference in the Kingdom.  All together at our communion meal.

Proclaiming the death of Jesus together.  Looking for his return.

And knowing that God is the God that sees the poor.  And answers their cry.

Every one of them.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I have been thinking about God and money lately.  And how that applies to my family and to my church family.  Lots of reasons but here are a few things I believe.

Money is never a problem for God.  The cattle on a thousand hills are his so money is just not a problem with God.

All I have to do is ask.  God will certainly give us what we need.  He will give us what is necessary to help others.  Sometimes He may even give us what we want (not need) because He is a good Father.

Ask for the right reasons.  Not for me but for others.  I think there is some church application here also.  Why do we ask God for financial resources as a community of faith?

There need to be people in every church and in every family who dream dreams for the Kingdom.  

There need to be people in every church and in every family who teach truth about God and money.  Ask for it.  Use it for others.  Don't get hung up on the money.

And there need to be good stewards in every church and in every family.  Those people of faith who ask the hard questions about the dreams so they become real.  People who hold us all accountable for our motives.  People who actually help keep our faith grounded.  

I don't like budgets.  I think we put way too much meaning onto our buildings.  But I know really passionate believers who think these things are absolutely necessary for the work of the Kingdom.  Maybe I am wrong.  Maybe they are wrong.  Or maybe buildings and budgets are not always an either/or but a both/and.

So for those who believe in them, you need someone like me that reminds you money is not an issue with God.  And that reminds you that buildings are only a tool.  

But I need those of you who are good stewards and actually account for the money given by God's people.  And I need to be reminded that buildings actually can help in the growth of the Kingdom.  That the optics associated with buildings might really matter.

After all, I really think we are after the same thing.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Today our daughter Julie turns 47.  In some ways that seems unreal.  In other ways, it seems as if the years have flown by.  So as is my custom, here are just a few of the reasons I am so proud of my daughter and why I love her so much.

She is tough.  I don't know many people that could survive what Julie has.  Serious health issues that were hard to diagnose.  An abusive marriage.  But Julie is a survivor and she is strong.  I admire her courage. 

She is a great nurse.  One of the neatest things we get to experience is having people come up to us and tell us that Julie was their NICU nurse for their child or grandchild.  They tell us how sweet that she prays over the babies.  And she does.  Every one of the ones in her care.

She loves big.  She loves us and I have no doubt that she will do whatever it takes to take care of us down the road.  She loves her husband Tim.  They have a strong marriage.  That makes me happy.  Loves her two kids.  Loves Tim's family.  Loves her brother and his family.  And her Mam and Aunt Phyl.  Loves Jesus.  

Stong, tough, and a great big heart.  

Thanks God for taking care of our Jules.  Give her lots of years to live and love.  Do great things in her life.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments