Ringing the Cracked Bell of Liberty

Ringing the Cracked Bell of Liberty
Credit: A representative article of today's teaching by Dr. Jeffrey Broadnax

Today is Juneteenth. That's the name given to today's Federal holiday. The full name that is inked in stone is the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. This is one of the most misunderstood, least well communicated, and sadly one of the most divisive holidays that we know and celebrate.

It should not be.

One of my favorite quotes is this: "We do not see things the way they are. We see things the way WE are." Today my hope is that we would see Juneteenth in the new light that I have come to understand it, with a trip through the threads of history.

This is not a story of Black History. It's not even a story of American History. While it does weave within those two narratives, this is a story much deeper. This is a God story. One that he has written long ago. Jesus has the lesson, the narrative, and the answer for our questions regarding Juneteenth as we know it in America, but also for the Spiritual Juneteenth that we all need to experience and shout from the rooftops. Stay with me throughout this article, and I'll explain. I believe this article may blow your mind, as Dr. Broadnax's teaching did for some of us this morning at a small gathering.

To understand the story of America, we must start with Jesus. In Luke Chapter four, Jesus enters the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth after being tempted and fasting in the wilderness. He was handed the scroll of Isaiah to read from. As he unrolls the scroll looking for just the spot, he stops on what we now call Isaiah 61 – The Year of the Lord's Favor.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

True freedom for all. The year of the Lord's Favor. The year of Jubilee. You see, Jubilee was something celebrated about once every 50 years at that time, and it comes from the Old Testament. We find it in Leviticus Chapter 25.

Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.

Why is this important? Let's begin our journey through some American History.

We've all heard of the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell was commissioned in 1752…before the Declaration, before Emancipation, and before Juneteenth. What is written on that bell?

You guessed it. That same verse from Leviticus 25.

"Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof."

It cracked on its first ringing. It was originally called the State House Bell to commemorate William Penn's Charter of Liberties. It wasn't renamed the Liberty Bell until after the passing of Emancipation. We called it by this name once we began to live out what was started with our Declaration of Independence.

While the Declaration was a fantastic representation of liberty, if we're honest we were not living it as a nation. All men created equal and deserving of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We were so close, though…Jefferson's original draft had certain sections that almost made it into the final document, if not for two colonies that would not sign onto the language. The redacted language read as follows:

"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life, liberty, and the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold; he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce, and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguishable die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them, thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another."

If this would have made it into the Declaration, just think where we would have been starting out. Less than a century later, over 600,000 men would die in a brutal war to create a new path forward in our nation, much of which would have been unnecessary if we'd have started correctly from the jump.

Lincoln had written his draft of the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862. One year later, he gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

We were a new nation. We were not yet one nation. Conceived in liberty in that first sentence, but not alive fully in liberty as one people. Under God, our nation would have a new birth of freedom. One for all people, once and for all.

One more important historical note…then I promise, onto Juneteenth, and the spiritual Juneteenth beyond.

Our Statue of Liberty. Great Lady Liberty she is called. We know what it reads.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

She is best known for welcoming immigrants into Ellis Island. In her one hand, a torch lights the way. In her other hand, a tablet that reads July 4, 1776.

What many do not know are these facts.

What year was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi broached with the idea to sculpt the Statue of Liberty that now sits just outside of New York?

1865. The year that our Civil War ended, and slavery once and for all was ended in our land. An even lesser known fact…that tablet that sits in our Lady's hand was originally designed as a set of broken chains. It was shot down, but Bartholdi still had the broken chains incorporated into his design; they rest at her feet rather than in her hands. This statue commemorates our step taken toward fulfilling what was started in the Declaration of Independence at the founding of our country.

Emancipation Day. January 1st, 1863.

For some slaves, and especially those in Galveston, Texas, the truth was that they had been set free. Their reality was still a life of bondage and slavery for an additional 1,000 days. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger read the proclamation to the slaves.

One of the first orders of business was to post Granger's General Order No. 3, which began with:

The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.

Emancipation had been the law of the land, but wasn't being lived out. Now it was.

A cracked bell. A declaration. A civil war. A Gettysburg Address. Lady Liberty. Many declared free, but still living as slaves. A story of America, of freedom…and of Jesus. The year of Jubilee and its verse is written on our bell.

Our American History has much been designed around separation and power struggles. For those of us in Christ, we must see things in a new light of unity and unconditional love.

Let's quickly look at what the themes are in Isaiah 61, the scroll that Jesus read from when he proclaimed this scripture fulfilled.

1. Good news for the poor and brokenhearted

2. Freedom for the Captives

3. Release from Darkness for Prisoners

4. Comfort for those who mourn

5. Provision for those who grieve

6. Beauty for Ashes and a Garment of Praise for those in despair

7. An inheritance rather than disgrace

8. Restored land and everlasting joy

9. An Everlasting Covenant with God

And who does it say WE will be as this occurs?

We will be oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord to display his splendor, rebuilders of ruins, restorers of devastated places, renewers of cities, priests of the Lord, Ministers of our God, and blessed.

Christians — we are living in a Spiritual Juneteenth. Jesus has already finished the work. All of us who were living as slaves to sin have been set free. It is true, finished work. Our reality may still be bondage, but that's not the truth of the Gospel in our land.

We are the Gordon Grangers. We must proclaim this to those who are still captives. We must shout this good news from the rooftops so that all may know the joy and favor that rests upon them through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must also reconcile ourselves to each other. One church. One body of believers with one central call to true and everlasting freedom offered through a relationship with the one who has all power and authority on earth as it is in Heaven.

I hope this has been an educational encouragement to you. Let the Church proclaim Jubilee throughout our land, even if we're ringing a cracked bell!

-Mark

What Deserves To Be Believed?

This question came up last Sunday at church. Quite honestly, I can’t shake it. The question itself is deep. It’s been showing up as I drive from here to there, as I’m cutting the grass, or again this morning as I rolled out of bed. This article is my attempt to settle it in my head, but I have a feeling I’ll be revisiting this question time and again for the remainder of my life. 

The topic surrounding belief was in context of our current cultural moment. Not only are ideologies and belief systems growing and changing each year, but we now have a new contender for our trust and belief - Ai.  Our access to knowledge has grown beyond our wildest imaginations. Sometimes it’s fun to think about former generations, and what reactions they would have if given the opportunity to peer into our modern world.

Let’s review what’s available to each of us reading today. Current event information across the entire globe, intimate personal advice, thousands of years of historical event recall, language translation, up to date medical data, immediate picture recognition, just to name a few. The big kicker? This is not housed in a static location for just a select group…it’s mobile and in just about every citizen’s pocket. 

We’re living through rapid times. The world has always been in a state of change, but today the pace of change is moving at a speed that’s difficult to keep up with. We’ll each be faced with the decision of where to place our trust, and what belief system we’ll wash things through to guide our lives as they continue forward. 

Do not forget – our first and most important work is this question of belief. Want proof? Open your Bibles to John chapter 6. 

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this; to believe in the one he has sent.”  - John 6:28-29

There is a lot of good news to report regarding this topic. The church is seeing a revival among younger generations. We have recent data regarding young men returning to faith in numbers not seen in years. This is very encouraging. The foundation of God’s word and the hope of the Gospel is as compelling today as it’s ever been. This question of belief is not new.  But the circumstances and competition for our belief sure is. It’s easy to think that our current moment is more fantastical or more difficult to navigate. We can see how our world has made a compelling argument for why something other than God should be trusted. We think the times we’re living in are more advanced or challenging when it comes to belief.

They’re not. Let’s review two examples from the word of God.

In John Chapter 6 we see Jesus describe himself as the Bread of Life. This teaching ends with many disciples and followers turning away. Let’s think about that for just a second. Walking away from Jesus to his face. Most of these followers likely traveled a distance to hear him speak. This comes after hearing or witnessing the feeding of the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Hearing of miracles and demons being cast out. Why was this teaching so difficult to believe? 

In John 6:47-51 Jesus says “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life. Your ancestors at the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.  But here is the bread that comes down from Heaven, which anyone may eat and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever.  This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Many turned away based on these words. Jesus continued on, “The words I have spoken to you – they are full of Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”

This question of what deserves to be believed is not new. It is not more difficult today. It has changed, but the teaching above is arguably more difficult to accept than what we face having full knowledge of the resurrection of Christ.

Now let’s look at two examples of how personal this is to each of us. We must each answer this question for ourselves, in our own hearts. Merely standing in a church side by side with others is not enough. We must each make a personal decision around what we believe.

Let’s look to Luke chapter 9 for this guidance.  As Jesus prayed in a private place, his disciples came to him. In verse 18 he asks them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  They respond with what others have said. Their answers ranged from John the Baptist, to Elijah, or one of the prophets that has returned to life. 

Then Jesus asks the question that I believe is asked to ALL of us. It wasn’t about the crowd. The answer couldn’t be borrowed from someone else. 

“But what about you? He asked. “Who do YOU say that I am?” 

Peter answers that Jesus is the Messiah. Each of us will be faced with this question. Peter and the others witnessed the miracles. They had traveled and gotten to know Jesus in the flesh. We may think that would make it easy for them to answer in the way Peter did. What about us? We have historical context of the resurrection. We have the full New Testament that we enjoy reading every day!  We have far more to go on than Peter did that day…yet the question remains.  Who do we say that Jesus is, and is this where we place our belief?

Ok…Just one more. 

The death of Lazarus is recorded in John Chapter 11. Jesus loved Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha.  As he makes his way toward Bethany, he is met by each of these women in two separate interactions.  Jesus tells Martha in verse 23, “Your brother will rise again.” She initially believes that Jesus is talking about the resurrection on the last day, but then the question comes to Martha just as it came to the disciples in our previous example.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?”  - John 11:25-26

Do you believe this.  Do YOU believe this? 

Martha replies, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world.”

Today we know the end of this story.  Lazarus is raised from the dead. 

Belief has always been a critical point of life. What we believe matters. It matters a lot. Our ultimate end rests fully upon it. Yes, we have an ever-present distraction and growing competitor in our modern world.  The same goes for those before us. At the time of Christ they were also faced with things unheard of and impossible.

Imagine hearing of massive crowds being fed with five loaves and two fish.  Imagine hearing of a man dead for 4 days and wrapped in a tomb being raised up with one command.  Imagine seeing and hearing the ways that Jesus described who he was. Could you believe it?  While the ancients would have marveled at our growing use of electronic technologies, we would have marveled at the ways God showed up and defied the physical constraints we believe impossible in the material world.  

God is at work today just as he has always been. Just as many at the time of Christ denied it, justified it as a deception, coerced those in power to shut it down, or tried to capitalize on it for gain…we have to decide for ourselves what side of this we’re on. 

As we sit with this throughout the weekend, I’d encourage us all to chew on two questions.

#1 – Is any of my faith a function of the crowd, or is it truly my own belief deep inside my heart?

#2 – Who do I say that Jesus is? Who have I told about him lately?

As we continue forward through our modern time, we have challenges and we have opportunities, just like every generation before us. This question transcends time, and we must answer it again.  What deserves to be believed?  Jesus deserves all glory, honor, and praise. But the question of our belief is 100% up to us.  What do you believe?

-Mark

A True Heart Story

Jesus tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

When I think about where my heart was before tithing, I honestly cannot land on a firm place. Since embracing the tithe, though, my heart has been firmly planted near the foot of the cross and tied much more closely to Christ. I have embraced Him in my life, how He wants to work through me, and I am far more comfortable with my treasure being with and near Him.

So if I had to answer the question, “Where was your treasure before, and therefore your heart?” the answer becomes pretty clear.

I had heavy investments in real estate, and my heart was trapped inside those homes. I constantly watched the short term rental revenues, the appreciation in value, and at times became consumed with how I could leverage equity to acquire more properties. I was wrapped up in the paper wealth I was creating through these physical assets.

Did I actually love them? Not really.

Two of my rental properties I never even visited once. I bought them sight unseen based entirely on cash flow projections. I did not love those homes. I loved money, and the leverage those homes provided gave me access to more of it.

Isn’t it amazing how well Jesus knows us? After all, He became human. He understands exactly how our hearts work. His message that we cannot serve two masters is painfully true, and He does not leave it vague or indirect either.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Matthew 6:24

Looking back now, my heart was already revealing the truth inside that verse. I could serve God and still possess money, but that was not what was happening in my life. My devotion was aimed toward gaining more earthly wealth.

Years later, I realize I never even had an end goal in mind. There was no magic number of properties or net worth that would have finally satisfied me. More was simply the goal. More meant security in my mind. More meant insulation from future downturns. More meant I was somehow winning the race against time and getting ahead of others in my stage of life.

The faster I moved and accumulated, the faster I thought I could someday slow down and finally rest. What a terrible plan that really was. Full speed all the time, constant pressure, constant pursuit, and constant striving, all in hopes of reaching some future destination where I could finally relax.

But now, looking at it from a bird’s eye view, it seems less like a dream and more like a slow exhaustion leading nowhere meaningful.

What exactly was I planning to do once I finally slowed down? Drink coffee on the porch, play golf, write a little, travel occasionally, and enjoy a collection of homes in different places. It is the retirement dream many of us have been sold. We are told the goal of life is to eventually take it easy while we quietly ride into the sunset.

I am not sure that is how God calls us to live.

If our hearts belong to Him, then we are called into a life of serving Him and storing treasure in heaven. The vision I had built for myself contained very little service to the Lord and honestly very little eternal meaning.

I have come to believe that God’s heart deeply desires for us to invest into the gifts and purpose He has given us. His heart rejoices when ours aligns with His. When we work together with Him, serving others, spreading His love, and drawing people toward Jesus, life becomes deeply meaningful. That sounds far more fulfilling than retreating into a carefully manufactured world of comfort and isolation.

So why did my target change? Because my heart changed.

I began to understand that God wanted partnership with me, not because He needed something from me, but because He desired something for me. When my heart aligns with God’s heart, His glory shines through His creation. My purpose becomes clearer, my life gains direction, and suddenly things that once seemed important begin losing their grip on me.

It becomes a beautiful cycle. I align with Christ, God is glorified, others are served, my light shines brighter, my love grows deeper, and my mission becomes clearer. My time on earth begins impacting eternity instead of simply chasing comfort, accumulation, and temporary success. Treasure begins getting stored in heaven instead of endlessly shuffled around on earth.

That is a far better plan, so I embraced it.

What became the guardrail that started transforming my thinking? The tithe.

When I understood that tithing was protection for my heart, I immediately began practicing it. I do not want to pretend it was easy, because it was not. Those first checks were difficult to write. I wanted to do it, but I still felt a tight grip on those funds. I had spent years deploying money toward my own goals, my own security, and my own future plans. Returning it back to God required deliberate practice, trust, and reflection.

Protection for My Heart

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23

This verse is critical to understanding why we tithe and why Jesus ties our treasure so closely to our hearts.

Notice what Solomon says. He does not say, “Pay attention to your heart every once in a while.” He says, “Above all else.” God is after our hearts more than anything else because everything flows from them. Everything.

Think about that for a moment. Our heart becomes the source from which our entire life flows. Even physically, this is true.

According to Harvard Medical School, the heart beats billions of times over a lifetime, carrying oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and life throughout the body. When the heart stops functioning properly, the body quickly suffers. Poor habits damage the heart over time. Arteries become clogged, blood flow becomes restricted, and disease develops. Yet healthy habits can restore strength, improve circulation, and even reverse damage.

The parallels to our spiritual hearts are impossible to ignore.

Physically speaking, our hearts carry life throughout the body. If they fail, the body suffers. Poor habits damage them, clogged arteries restrict healthy flow, and healthy disciplines strengthen them. Thankfully, course correction is possible.

The same is true spiritually.

Jesus makes a direct connection between treasure and the heart because He knows whatever captures our treasure eventually captures our devotion. Solomon warns us to guard the heart because everything flows from it. A healthy spiritual heart produces life, while a clogged spiritual heart produces death.

I believe the tithe is one of the greatest spiritual disciplines God has given us to protect that flow.

How the Tithe Mirrors Healthy Heart Habits

1. Tithing Is Spiritual Exercise

A healthy body is built through consistent exercise, not random effort. No one works out occasionally and expects life changing results. Fitness requires discipline, repetition, and growth over time.

Tithing works the same way.

Whether we receive a paycheck weekly, biweekly, monthly, or through business income, the tithe becomes a regular spiritual discipline tied directly to provision. As our income grows, our tithe grows. As our tithe grows, the impact God can make through our lives expands.

Tithing trains our hearts to place God first before we decide what to do with the remainder. It transforms our relationship with money from ownership into stewardship.

2. Where My Treasure Is, My Heart and My Life Follow

When we tithe consistently, our hearts naturally become more connected to our church community and the body of Christ. We begin seeing the fruit of generosity around us. Lives are impacted, needs are met, and the Gospel spreads. Slowly our habits begin changing as well.

We attend church more faithfully. We become more engaged in worship. We feel the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. We recognize ourselves as part of something eternal rather than simply isolated individuals trying to build our own kingdoms.

Tithing creates proximity to spiritually healthy environments, and proximity changes people.

3. Tithing Changes How We View Provision

In John chapter 6, Jesus tells us His flesh is real food and His blood is real drink. God constantly teaches eternal truths through physical things.

Communion is not simply bread and wine. It is worship, remembrance, and spiritual nourishment. Tithing works similarly.

A paycheck is physical, temporary, and earthly, but when we tithe, that physical income becomes an act of eternal worship. We recognize God as our provider. We release trust back to Him. We transform something temporary into something eternal.

Tithing teaches us to stop viewing money merely through earthly eyes.

4. The Tithe Helps Restore Proper Flow

When someone develops heart problems physically, doctors often prescribe medication, exercise, dietary changes, and sometimes surgery. But as long as the person is alive, there is still opportunity to change course.

Spiritually, the same hope exists.

God is the source of all provision. When the flow between our hearts and our Provider becomes blocked, problems begin appearing throughout our lives. Tithing restores proper flow. It becomes a spiritual prescription that realigns our hearts with God.

Returning the first portion back to Him restores order. Perspective changes. Trust deepens. Our relationship with the Father begins strengthening again.

Spiritual attacks on the heart are very real, and regular tithing becomes one of the greatest protections against them.

The tithe does not merely change our finances. It changes us.

-Mark

What lies In the Cemetery?

Today my family and I had a chance to visit a cemetery.  We weren’t at a funeral – we were getting a tour of one of the most historical cemeteries in our country.  We love doing these live history trips with our boys to reinforce learning that’s happening at home. Getting in touch with concepts and lessons that you’ve heard with your ears by transferring real images through your eyes has a way of making things stick. So as we made our way into Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA my son Greyson asked a question from the back seat.

It started with a comment that I made as we pulled into the drive. “There’s a lot of history buried under this ground.”  Greyson replied, “What history is under the ground Dad?”

Hopes and Dreams

Love and Loss

Pleasure, fulfillment, and also despair.

Opportunities taken, and opportunities missed.

Achievements and awards along with failures and shame.

Faith now revealed, and lack of faith now also revealed.

All of those things are buried here my son. As we pass through the stones that rest over dust and dry bones, we are given a marvelous moment to evaluate our past, present, and future aims to test them for their truth and their depth.

The cemetery can teach you a lot about the path you’re pursuing.  One of my favorite quotes is by D.L. Moody when he says, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”  The things that didn’t really matter are long forgotten beneath the dirt in the cemetery.  The things that mattered?  Well…those are alive and well in Heaven.

Before we go there I think it’s important to remember just a few verses that help us to keep our mortality front and center.  This is not to depress us. It’s to inspire us to live a life that’s worthy of the gift of time. Because it expires is the very reason why it’s so valuable. 

“My days are like an evening shadow, I wither away like grass.”  – Psalm 102:11

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” – Psalm 39:4

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”  - James 4:14

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

That last verse rests on my office wall.  My sons see it often as I mark off week after week on my 80-year dot calendar.  4,160 dots represent the 4,160 weeks I’ll live if I’m blessed to live a life of 80 years. They know that this is not a countdown just for fun.  This is a weekly ritual to remember that these weeks will fly by, and that the next 7 days should be lived as intentionally as possible.  What mission are we on?  What are the things of life worth pursuing?  What will last beyond the grave, and not become a distant memory or dust like the bones in the cemetery? 

These are the questions of life that sit deep within us. They bug us from time to time, and cause the constant evaluation of the state we find ourselves in.  But there are other verses for us to lean on as well.

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”  - 1 John 2:17

What lasts forever?  The faith and action that we put into place that aligns with the will of God. In my experience these are the things that build our relationship with Jesus, and what we share with our neighbors who are also in need of his love. These are the things that will last forever. These things will show up in eternity. As C.S. Lewis once said, we’ve never met a mere mortal.  Every person here on earth is an immortal creation. Spirit, Soul, and Body. As we align our life with the will of God, he will give us opportunities each day to do his eternal work. Some within, and some for others. I believe that.

The cemetery has a funny way of bringing these thoughts to life. In a way there is a piece of earthly life that can only be fully appreciated due to death. Time is such a gift. Such a process. I’m happy that today we got to learn.  We heard about lives well lived, and we were able to glance over the graves of so many lives that have been forgotten. All matter to God, and all had the opportunity to do his eternal work. 

In closing – my urge for you today is to succeed at things that matter. The mundane and the day to day actions of life matter.  The once in a lifetime moments matter. The spurts  of large influence matter, and the small quiet conversations with just one person matters.  God is in each of these moments asking us to align our hearts to his will. My prayer is for those reading, and for me and my family, to take small steps to maximize our time today to make an eternal impact. 

-Mark

What Are Your Employees Really Trading When They Show Up to Work?

A strong mission isn't just a framed poster on the wall. It’s the difference between a transactional workforce and an inspired one.

Excerpt From Firm Foundations Chapter 2.

Every morning, your employees make a trade. They hand over their time, their focus, and their energy, and in return they receive a paycheck. If that's the full extent of the exchange you have a transaction. And transactions, by nature, can always be renegotiated.

One of the most important things teams look for in order to trust their leadership is vision. Does my leader know where they're going? But here's the deeper question beneath that one: do they know why? Because you can't truly know your destination unless you understand why you chose it.

"When a company operates outside of its mission ad vision, trust breaks down — and culture soon follows."

A strong mission statement doesn't just hang above the reception desk. It drives culture. It drives values. It permeates everything the company does. Bold, inspiring missions instill values that outlast any single leader, product, or market cycle. The purpose of a great company is almost always greater than the sum of its work product — and when that's not the case, employees are left with nothing more than an exchange of hours for dollars.

The Triangle of Control

To understand why mission matters so deeply, it helps to understand how each of your employees experiences their own day. There's a simple framework I call the Triangle of Control — three forces that shape every decision a person makes:

Our Triangle of Control

Time

A constraint, not a resource. Every person gets 24 hours. No more, no less.

Resources

Tools, access, and assets available to get the work done.

Choices

The difference maker. How people act with what they have within their timeframe.

Time is not a resource — it's a constraint. Every human being who makes it through each day receives the same 24 hours, the same 1,440 minutes. It cannot be bought, banked, or borrowed. This is precisely why time is so central to our psychology: our fear of death, our anxiety about the future, our craving for meaning — all of it is rooted in our awareness that time is always expiring.

Resources, on the other hand, are more abundant than most of us appreciate. From food and shelter to smartphones, transportation, and education — modern society offers access to tools that historical kings and queens never could have imagined. Egyptian pharaohs endured weeks of hard travel to see their own kingdom. Today, we can fly to the other side of the world in under 24 hours. We are living in a time where imagination is often our greatest limiting factor — not resources.

And then there are choices. This is the variable that separates the good from the great. Choices are shaped by our perceptions, filtered through our beliefs, and weighed against potential consequences. Some choices become habits; others are made fresh with each new piece of information. But this much is certain: no leader has ever been followed for what they received, took from others, or decided to waste. We’re remembered for what we give, what we do with what’s available, and the opportunities we seize.

What This Means for Leaders

Here's where it comes together. Your employees already understand, somewhere deep down, what's within their control each day: their time (all 24 hours of it), their resources (whatever tools and access you've provided), and — most importantly — their choices.

When your mission is real, vivid, and worth believing in, it flows directly into those choices. It shapes how someone greets a difficult client, how they go the extra mile on a deliverable, how they represent your company in a hallway conversation. Customers and partners often sense this difference without being able to name it. They just know something feels different about working with your team.

"Real mission, flowing through the choices your employees make with their time and resources is a truly magical combination."

That magic isn't accidental. It's what happens when you stop treating work as a transaction and start treating it as a calling. It's the result of an inspiring mission that transcends the ordinary. It’s one that gives people a reason to bring their whole selves to the table, not just their contracted hours.

The goal isn't compliance. It isn't even engagement, in the buzzword sense of the word. The goal is belief-driven choices — the kind that make your company feel like something more than the sum of its work product.

Does your mission statement do that? If not, it might be worth asking why you chose this destination in the first place.

-Mark

What Excellence Looks Like

There is a kind of work the world rarely celebrates. It happens in the early morning hours inside a restaurant kitchen, in the hands of a teacher marking the same paragraph for the third time, in the mechanic who takes an extra ten minutes to get it right. It is not glamorous. It will not trend. But it is holy because it is done as unto God.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." - Colossians 3:23

The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Colossae, didn't carve out an exception for the impressive careers or the visible roles. He said whatever you do. That means the ordinary Tuesday work session, the thankless task, the work no one applauds. Do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord.

This is what excellence looks like in the Kingdom of God. Not the striving of ambition, not the restless chasing of recognition — but wholehearted faithfulness, offered as worship.

We Were Made for This

Long before we were ever employed, we were commissioned. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

The Greek word translated handiwork is poiema. The root of our word poem. We are God's poem. His crafted work. And poems are not accidents. Every word is chosen. Every line has a purpose. You are not here by mistake, and neither is the work that God has set before you.

This means that your gifts are not incidental to your faith. They are your faith in motion. The ability to lead, to build, to comfort, to create, to teach, to serve. These are not secular distractions from spiritual life. They are the very good works God prepared for you before the foundation of the world.

"No gift is greater than another in the economy of God — only more or less faithfully used."

One Body, Distinct Gifts

Scripture is relentlessly clear on this: the Body of Christ is not a hierarchy. It is a living system, and every part belongs. The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. The head cannot dismiss the foot. When one part suffers, the whole suffers. When one part is honored, all are honored.

Each of us, made in the image of God, bears a distinct reflection of who God is. The God who is simultaneously infinite in power and intimate in tenderness, who is both creative and orderly, both just and merciful — He poured something of Himself into each of us. The administrator reflects God's order. The encourager reflects God's tenderness. The artist reflects God's creativity. The servant reflects God's humility.

None is superior. Each is necessary. Each is valuable.

The problem is that we do not live as though this were true. Here on earth, we assign value to power, to wealth, to beauty — whatever the current culture tells us to aspire to. We watch the metrics. We measure our worth by visibility. We rank the gifts, placing platforms or applause above faithfulness.

The Lust of the Eyes, the Pride of Life

The Apostle John had a name for this. Writing to first-century believers surrounded by the spectacle of Rome, he warned them not to love the world. "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." (1 John 2:16) These are not merely ancient temptations. They’re alive and well today.

We have a temptation to fix our eyes on the wrong things. We begin to chase what glitters. And slowly, the work that was once worship becomes performance. We stop working for God and start working for the watching crowd. We stop doing what we were made for and start doing what earns approval.

Believers in Christ Jesus are called to something different: not the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen. Not the praise that fades, but the “well done” that endures. Not the lust of the eyes, but the matters of the heart.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10

Fulfill the Work You Were Called To

The mission God has given you is not an afterthought waiting for a more convenient season. It is not someday, when you are more prepared, more resourced, more noticed. It is here. It is now. It is in the exact place you find yourself today. The neighborhood, the office, the family, the classroom, the shop floor.

The Gospel advances not only from grand stages but from ordinary lives lived with devotion. When God is honored in our work and other people are genuinely loved in our presence, the world encounters something it cannot quite explain — the presence of Christ, the witness of a life surrendered to something greater than itself.

All are welcome at the table of God. That is the message. And it travels not just through sermons, but through hands that build, teachers who stay late, parents who persevere, friends who tell the truth, workers who do not cut corners because they are working for the Lord.

"Don't simply go through the motions. Time is short. Use your gifts with the time you've been given, right in the places you find yourself."

Not Someday. Now.

There is a quiet danger in delay. The belief that the meaningful life begins at the next threshold. After the promotion. After the children are grown. After things settle. But the work God prepared for you is not waiting at the next milestone. It is already here, already waiting, in the ordinary fabric of today.

The sacrifice of Christ was not ordinary — it was final, sufficient, and eternal. And because of it, every person on earth has access to the table of God. That news is too urgent to sit with. It is too good to hold inside. It belongs in the world, carried by people who work with their whole hearts, who love their neighbors with their whole lives, who use every gift they have been given for the glory of the One who gave it.

Whatever your gift… use it now. Wherever you are be faithful there. However you were made, honor God with it. Not for an audience. Not for applause. But because you are His poem, and He is worth every word.

-Mark

One Solitary Life

As I sit today on Holy Thursday, remembering the final hours that Jesus Christ walked the earth, I’m reminded of a short but powerful piece I’ve read to my kids. It’s the inspiration for today’s message.

There has never been, and there will never be, a more influential man than Jesus.

He didn’t just impact the world. He transformed it. He turned it upside down. He redefined strength—not as dominance, but as service. Not as power, but as love. Not as control, but as sacrifice, forgiveness, and mercy.

And then there are His words.

Truth? “I am.”
Life? “I am.”
The way? You already know the answer.

What separates Him from every other person who has ever made bold claims is this: He backed them up.

His death and His resurrection didn’t just change history. They changed eternity.

All creation points back to Him.

One life. About 33 years. A small geographic area. No formal authority. No worldly credentials.

And yet—He split time itself.

Before we go further, take a moment to reflect on these words, first shared in a sermon a century ago in 1926 by James Allan Francis:

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.

Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never owned a home.
He never had a family.
He never went to college.
He never put His foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

He had no credentials but Himself.
He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

His friends ran away.
One of them denied Him.
He was turned over to His enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.
His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was His coat.
When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind’s progress.

All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever were built,
All the parliaments that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned, put together,
have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

When you stop and truly consider this resume. This humble man of no means—you have to ask:

How?

How does a life like that create a movement that spans centuries, continents, and cultures?

There is only one answer.

He was who He said He was.

He was God.

Crowds gathered to hear Him speak. Not because of status, but because of truth.
He healed—again and again—in ways no one could explain.
He multiplied food.
He spoke directly into the hearts of men and women.
He brought life where there was death… and then, after His own execution, brought life out of death again.

Even His followers who once ran, who once denied Him, would go on to face unimaginable suffering and death. And yet, they would not turn away.

Why?

Because what they had seen, what they had heard, and what they had experienced was more real than their fear. More powerful than pain. More certain than death itself.

Today, we remember that last time He sat with His closest friends.

He shared a Passover meal.
He washed their feet.
He spoke His final words before the cross.

We find those words in John 13–17.

Tonight, I’ll be reading them—quietly, intentionally, and spending time with our Lord.

If you join me, I believe He will speak to us just as clearly as He did to the twelve that night.

All glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

-Mark

The Leadership Lens of Luke 8

I’ve been wanting to share this article ever since I coached through a situation using this specific lens. Today’s insight comes from Gospel of Luke, chapter 8.

In this chapter, Jesus performs three separate healings. While the miracles themselves are powerful, they are not our focus today—His communication is.

In leadership, communication matters… a lot. Our teams are always watching. At times, we give direction. Other times, we lead by example. And still, there are moments when we invest one-on-one in the person right in front of us. Each approach is unique, and each is essential as we build trust within our teams.

Let’s look at these three moments.

1 – Jesus Restores a Demon Possessed Man

After healing the man who was possessed by demons known as “Legion,” Jesus gives him a clear directive:

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”

Here, Jesus tells the man to go and share his story.

There are times as leaders when we need our people to help spread the mission. Their involvement matters. What they’ve seen, heard, and experienced firsthand carries weight. Their enthusiasm and clarity can help move others in ways we cannot on our own.

2 – Jesus Heals a Sick Woman

In the middle of a pressing crowd, a woman touches Jesus’ cloak and is instantly healed. Jesus pauses and asks, “Who touched me?”

He then acknowledges her publicly:

“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Jesus didn’t instruct her to go tell others—He didn’t need to. The moment spoke for itself.

As leaders, there are times when our actions communicate more than our words ever could. Our teams are always watching. What we do matters.

What stands out here is that Jesus stops. Despite the moment’s urgency—He was on His way to heal a dying girl—He pauses. He sees this woman. He looks her in the eye.

Leadership requires awareness. It requires knowing when to slow down and value the person in front of you. It can also at times require us to put formalities and structure aside, and get the job done that’s at hand. Leading by example often speaks the loudest.

3 – Jesus Raises a Dead Girl

After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus gives a surprising instruction:

He tells them not to tell anyone what happened.

This moment is different.

Here, the miracle is private. Intentional. Reserved.

As leaders, we will encounter moments like this—times when our investment into someone is not meant for public view. These are trust-building moments. Conversations that are just for them. Time that is set apart.

And because they are exclusive, they become sacred.

Our teams recognize the value of time. When we dedicate time specifically to them, it becomes a gift—one that builds trust, loyalty, and depth in the relationship.

So, leader—today as you go about your work, consider these three moments:

• Are you asking your team to help spread the mission?

• Are you leading by example in a way others can clearly see?

• Or are you investing deeply in a private, trust-building moment with just a few?

Each is necessary. Each is part of who you are. And each should play a role in how you lead.

Understanding the moment matters.

Let’s go be more like Jesus today.

-Mark

Hometown Prophet

They say prophets aren’t often welcome in their hometown.

I think I heard Jesus say that once or twice—and He was right.

It’s interesting how often we search for wisdom, encouragement, or direction from people far away rather than from those closest to us. We assume that somewhere out there, someone we’ve never met, someone with a platform or a following has the answers we need.

In today’s social-media-driven world, it’s easy to become obsessed with advice coming from afar. Someone thousands of miles away can become our guide while the people God has placed right beside us remain overlooked.

But just yesterday I had the opportunity to learn from someone I know well—someone I trust and respect.

Matt Wooster made himself available to a room of men at the Christian Business Men’s Connection. He shared his story with honesty and vulnerability, walking us through the lessons God has taught him through business, family, and most importantly through faith.

Even though Matt is someone I know well, I filled two pages with notes.

The learning was incredible.

It reminded me how familiarity can sometimes rob us of hearing God’s voice. The wisdom we’re searching for might be right under our noses, and God delights when we pause long enough to notice.

Here are a few things I learned from Wooster.

1. High Performance Needs a Harness

There is nothing wrong with pursuing excellence. High performance can be a powerful and honorable pursuit.

But without a harness around why we are striving, achievement can quickly become a treadmill. We keep chasing the next milestone without ever stopping to ask why it matters.

Many leaders and high achievers eventually run into this wall. Success piles up, yet clarity disappears.

Without faith anchoring our ambition, we can end up serving the next altar or idol in our path rather than honoring God.

Anchor yourself to Christ. Let your pursuit of excellence point upward—not just forward.

2. If God Wants Your Attention, He’ll Get It

Sometimes God whispers.

Sometimes He taps us gently on the shoulder.

And sometimes, as Matt shared honestly, it takes something much louder—like a battle with brain cancer—to get our attention.

God will pursue our hearts.

It’s worth asking ourselves: What might God be trying to show me right now?
Where might He be calling my focus?

If He’s knocking today, don’t ignore it.

3. God Often Uses Unexpected Messengers

Throughout Scripture, God consistently delivers His message through unlikely people.

A shepherd boy.
A fisherman.
A tax collector.

In Matt’s case, the invitation that changed everything came from his wife’s hairdresser.

At a moment when Matt was physically and spiritually at a low point, God used someone unexpected to extend an invitation that would reshape his life.

When we are weak, God often introduces His strength.

4. Bold Invitations Change Lives

That hairdresser didn’t stay quiet.

She didn’t assume it wasn’t her place.

She didn’t offer a casual “good luck.”

She saw a man who needed something bigger than himself—and she knew that answer was Jesus.

So she gave him a simple but bold invitation:

“Come to church with us this Sunday.”

Not passively.

Not vaguely.

Specifically.

There was a place.
There was a time.
There was a seat waiting.

It reminds me of the way Jesus invited people in Scripture.

“Follow me.”

Not “go home and get everything organized first.”
Not “make sure all your plans are perfect.”

Just come.

I’m right here.

5. Eternal Motivation Changes Everything

Matt shared three motivations that guide his life today.

a. The Judgment Seat of Christ

Every one of us will stand before Christ.

In that moment, the temporary things of this world will fade away like dust. What will remain are the things that touched eternity.

People.

Lives impacted for Heaven.

Matt is motivated by the idea that the product of his life might show up in eternity.

That’s a powerful aim.

b. Stewardship of What We Were Given

Jesus teaches this clearly in the parable of the talents.

We are all given something—time, talent, influence, resources.

Those who multiply what they were given share in the master’s joy.

Those who bury it out of fear give a very different account.

The calling is simple:
Use what you were given.

Invest your gifts, your time, and your resources in ways that honor God.

c. Eternal Rewards

Jesus told us to store our treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

That requires faith. It requires trusting that generosity and obedience are the greatest investment strategy in existence.

Matt understands that eternal returns far outweigh earthly ones—and he’s motivated to live accordingly.

Created for Something

Matt finished his talk with Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are saved by grace through faith. That gift is freely given through Christ.

But that salvation also comes with purpose.

God has good work prepared for us.

Matt wrestled for years trying to understand his Ephesians 2:10 purpose, but today he knows it.

The specifics are different for each of us—but the calling is universal.

God has meaningful work for every one of us to do alongside Him.

And it’s worth taking the time to figure out what that is.

Don’t Wait

God is beside you today.

He may be speaking in a whisper.
He may be speaking through someone close to you.
He may even be speaking through a “hometown prophet.”

Spend time asking Him about your purpose.

Be bold like the hairdresser when someone needs encouragement.

If you’re in a moment of weakness, be willing to receive wisdom from the people God has placed around you.

And if you’re searching for guidance, ask yourself a simple question:

Who do I already know that I could take out for coffee and learn from?

Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and the door will be opened.

Matt—thank you for your leadership and your faith.

I’m happy to learn from this hometown prophet anytime.

-Mark

What’s Next is What’s Now

As a leader, I am almost constantly living in the “what’s next” of life.

Future events. Calendar appointments. Forecasts and projections. The excitement of opportunity—and the fear of failure. The uncertainty of how we’ll get from point A to point B. The bigger question of what point B even is… and whether any of that is fully up to us.

“What’s next” seems to live in my head quite a bit.

Yours?

This week I’ve found myself in prayer more often than usual. I’ve noticed that in seasons of deeper prayer, the small, still voice that is always present can get a little louder. We’re in better communication with the Father. We become more aware of the grand design taking shape all around us.

In one of those moments, I asked,
“God, what do You want me to do next?”

The answer was simple. And it came back to me as a question:

“What’s now?”

Isn’t that just like Jesus?

He always brings us back to the present moment.
The opportunity at hand.
The person in front of us to serve.
The people in our lives today.
The health we have right now.
The meal we’re about to eat.

The here.
The now.

Jesus teaches this over and over.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” — Luke 12:25–26

Worry is the thief of present joy.

Worrying about tomorrow has never added a single hour to today. It hasn’t built a business, healed a relationship, strengthened a family, or honored God. It only steals attention from the moment we’ve been entrusted with.

And then there’s the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16–20. A man blessed with abundance decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones so he can relax and “take life easy.” But that very night, his life is demanded of him.

Jesus’ point is clear:
It’s not wrong to be blessed.
It’s wrong to forget why you’re blessed.

Storing up to avoid temporary worry misses the greater calling. Blessings are opportunities to share the love of God. Time, talent, treasure—they are not merely for security. They are invitations into partnership with Him.

And then we come to the Lord’s Prayer:

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

This day.

Not next quarter.
Not next year.
Not when everything is figured out.

Today.

God provides physical bread and spiritual bread daily. When it’s given, we receive it with gratitude—and we use it to bring about His Kingdom in the ways He shows us right now.

Here’s the truth that’s been settling into my heart this week:

We are living in yesterday’s “what’s next.”

What once felt uncertain is now today’s current moment. Each hour. Each conversation. Each opportunity to live, breathe, work, play, give, forgive, and love.

The future we were anxious about has arrived—and it’s called now.

So this is a call to live in the “what’s now.”

Yes, plan. Yes, prepare. Yes, cast vision. Leadership requires it. But don’t get trapped there. Don’t let tomorrow rob today.

Stay present, as Jesus did.
Stay focused on the people in front of you.
The work you’ve been called to.
The opportunity to be generous.
The nudge of the Spirit.
The quiet space to connect with Him.

God loves what He’s given you.

And you have a real opportunity to honor Him with it.

Not tomorrow.

Today.

-Mark

Outpouring = Fulfilling

When you get the chance to be around leaders and hard-driving influencers on a frequent basis, you begin to notice something consistent: there is a constant pull on their time and attention. Calendars are full. Agendas are always in motion. There never seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything requiring energy and execution.

That’s part of the calling.

Work goes unfinished when you take on goals that stretch beyond a single day’s capacity. The bigger the mission, the more it demands.

Now—you may think this is an article about slowing down. About balance. About clearing your plate.

It isn’t.

What I’ve observed is something entirely different. When effort is channeled into true mission work—where purpose is clear, where the outpouring of energy directly impacts others, where gifts are maximized in service—those outpourings do something surprising.

They fill the cup of the one pouring.

Let me explain.

This week I interviewed several men who will soon be featured on the First & Focused show. They are all pressed for time. Yet each made space in their schedule to sit down and answer my curious questions. I was grateful.

The number one common thread?
A genuine love for the impact their work creates.

The work itself? Stressful. Complicated. Competitive. Demanding.

But when they spoke about its impact on others, there was a gleam in their eyes.

Let me give you a few examples.

One man has worked in the mortgage industry for 30 years. The last several years have been especially challenging—high rates, low inventory, heavy competition. The margin for error has shrunk. Execution must be sharper. Cost controls tighter.

And yet—he is energized.

Why?

Because his company gives 10% of revenue to charity. Every loan closed serves not just a client, but homeless shelters, children, churches, and ministries. For him, work is worship. Obstacles are not irritations, they are opportunities to glorify God through excellence and generosity.

He didn’t complain once. Not about rates. Not about competition.

While the work is tiring and complex, it fills him.

Outpouring = fulfilling.

Another man I spoke with is well into his late 60s. He has founded and led multiple companies and has done very well financially. By most standards, he has earned the right to slow down.

Golf. Travel. Relax.

To him? That sounds boring.

He measures life in impact and love shared. He even knows (off the top of his head) that there are 1,440 minutes in every day. He doesn’t intend to waste one.

Why is he expanding his company instead of retiring? Not for personal gain. He’s founded and fueling a nonprofit aimed at closing the early learning resource gap for pre-K and kindergarten children across the country. He’s partnered with technology leaders to create a safe, simple tool for families. One that could address educational challenges at their root.

His goal? Place 400,000 of these tools into the hands of families—for free.

Is it hard work? Absolutely. Time consuming? Without question.
But draining? Not to him.

It gives him energy because it serves others.

Outpouring… yet fulfilling.

The third man is a friend in his 60s who has served in the same ministry for three decades. When he stepped in, the organization was bankrupt and near collapse. Today it serves thousands of students—victims of trafficking, deaf students, children who have nowhere safe to go after school.

Recently, his wife of nearly 40 years went home to be with Jesus. He is grieving. Adjusting to a new normal. He is sitting at what many would call retirement age.

Has he stepped back?

Not at all.

This mission is too important. When he looks at his body of work, he doesn’t see his name. He sees Jesus. He doesn’t care about being remembered—he cares about more students knowing the Lord.

To him, this is ultimate fulfillment.

And somehow—even in grief—it is energizing.

Because he is pouring out.

Here’s the encouragement for today’s reader:

Find something worth filling your calendar with.

Find something that stretches you physically and mentally. Something worth sacrificing for. Something where your specific influence moves the needle. Where your gifts are clearly on display.

Pour it out.

Let the Lord of all creation—who formed you intentionally—work through you to reach people who are waiting for your obedience.

Find something so big it cannot be finished by you alone. Something that requires God’s hand to push it over the edge. Where you and He work together toward His will.

That kind of work will not suck you dry.

It will fill you up.

The more men I interview, the more convinced I become:

Outpouring—when aligned with purpose—doesn’t empty you.

It fulfills you.

-Mark

3 Doors Down

Most of us have experienced a moment when something familiar suddenly feels fragile — when a person, song, or memory reminds us of our own mortality. This past weekend brought one of those moments for me and for millions of music fans around the world. Brad Arnold, the founding member and lead singer of 3 Doors Down, passed away at the age of 47 after bravely battling stage-4 kidney cancer. He died peacefully in his sleep, with his wife and family by his side.

For many of us who hit High School up in the late ’90s and early ’00s, 3 Doors Down was a part of the soundtrack to our youth. Their album Away from the Sun came out my senior year, and songs from that record still echo with old memories. We didn’t know Brad personally, but we knew his voice and his lyrics which made him relatable to us.

When someone we recognize — even from afar — dies young, it forces us to face a stark reality: we are not here forever. Time does not slow down for our comfort, our plans, or our awareness. It moves steadily forward, toward an end none of us can escape. For Brad Arnold, that time came at 47 years. For you? For me? We don’t know — but what we do know is this: we are called to make the most of the time we do have.

So how do we make the most of it? The answer is deeply personal, but those who have looked most clearly at life — especially those near its end — point us in the same direction: honoring God and serving others is the truest form of meaningful living. Accumulating money, possessions, acclaim, or personal comfort ultimately amounts to nothing when our time here is done.

One song in particular captures this truth: “Ticket to Heaven” from 2002. Listen to these lyrics:

“I'm walkin’ a wire, feels like a thousand ways I could fall
To want is to buy, but to live is to die and you can’t take it all
When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left…”

And later:

“…all of your dreams and all of your money — they don’t mean a thing.”

There it is. Isn’t that the truth? Isn’t this exactly why Jesus said:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”
(Matthew 6:19–20)

Anything we pursue on this earth will fade unless it honors God and loves others well.

This theme continues in Matthew 25:34-40, where Jesus says that what truly counts in the world to come is how we loved and served those around us:

“…whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.”

That’s our real ticket — not running from life, trying to protect what we have here as if this is our permanent home, but living with open hands and open hearts.

It’s sad that Brad’s life was so short. But even facing death, his testimony was one of hope. After announcing his diagnosis last year, he told fans: “We serve a mighty God… so I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all.”

As believers, the reality of death shouldn’t catch us by surprise. We don’t simply fear the end — we can look forward to the fullness of life with Christ. Our time on this earth is a gift. We’ve been given a unique moment, unique relationships, and unique opportunities. One day we’ll give an account for how we stewarded them.

Let’s not waste another day. Let’s be ready when it’s time to turn in our “ticket to heaven” and step into the presence of Christ, confident that we did all we could to show His love and share His salvation while we had the chance.

Brad Arnold was 47. Here you are, at your age — what will you do with what you’ve been given?

-Mark

No Wishful Thinking

It’s that time of year when the goals we set just weeks ago begin to fade. What once felt bold and energizing slowly turns into a hope… a prayer… or for some of us, a quiet resignation that says, “Maybe next year.”

The start of a new year has a way of doing that to us. It nudges us to do something out of the ordinary—something that stretches our boundaries, something that promises a better track than the rusty one we’ve been riding. From that angle, goal setting sounds like a great idea.

So why don’t goals stick?

In my opinion, it’s because most goals are set without first deciding what they’re worth—and how long they’re worth pursuing.

A friend of mine once said, “Goal setting is simply deciding today what you will pursue tomorrow.” For most goals, that “tomorrow” lasts a while. Real goals require us to make up our minds in advance that the effort will be worth the price paid in time and attention—even if the outcome ends up looking different than we imagined.

And there it is—the massive difference.

For a goal to truly be a goal, it must be evaluated by what you’re willing to trade for its achievement.
Time. Energy. Attention.

What will you give up to prioritize what matters most?

Too few of us ever stop to count the cost. We want the environment and circumstances that achievement brings, but we show up empty-handed when it’s time to pay for them.

Below are some tangible ways to help your goals stick in 2026. And fair warning—by the time you reach the end, you may want to revisit where your goals came from in the first place.

1. Clarify the mission before you set the goals

God uses people on personal missions, often expressed through goals, to change the world and impact His Kingdom. Yet many of us struggle to pursue our mission because we can’t articulate what it is.

We sell ourselves short. We unintentionally limit what God wants to do through us because we haven’t taken the time to seek Him first.

Before setting goals, remind yourself of your primary and secondary missions in life. Make sure they’re real to you—not borrowed, not assumed, not culturally convenient. Your goals should align with your overarching mission and vision, not compete with them.

2. Write them down—and invite accountability

You must write your goals down and build in accountability. That accountability might be with a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or within a business setting.

Write them down. Schedule time to review them—in advance.

Remember: A goal not written down is just wishful thinking.

3. Set goals across five life shaping categories

To ensure your life stays aligned with your bigger mission, consider setting goals in each of these areas:

Relationship with God
Your spiritual journey. Time with Jesus. Prayer. Scripture. A plan to grow in God’s truth and presence.

Family
The relationship you’re building with your spouse. The way you’re raising and developing your kids. Memories you want to make. Work you’re doing together. Extended family. These are the people who will be in the front row at your funeral—prioritize accordingly.

Career / Work
Your work matters. It’s often where God places daily opportunities to be a light. Set goals that pursue excellence—because excellence honors God.

Community
How will you freely give yourself to impact others? Every one of us has something to offer. As the body of Christ, we each bring unique strengths meant to serve.

Personal Growth
What do you want to strengthen, stop, develop, or simply enjoy? Physical health, rest, creativity, emotional health, hobbies—living well honors God. Steward the time He’s given you.

Four. Set a sustainable strategy

Look at your calendar. Look at the time you’ve committed.

Is it realistic?

You’re not setting a pace for two weeks—you’re setting one for months, maybe years. Good strategies include routines, communication, scheduling, and built-in evaluation. Sustainability beats intensity every time.

5. Don’t stress the timeline

Not every goal needs to be accomplished at the same pace. Some categories will come easily—that’s great. Others will stretch you, frustrate you, or require intentional effort just to maintain.

That’s normal.

When you wrote the goal down, you counted the cost and decided it was worth it. When it’s time to pay, remember why you’re buying.

A final thought

God wants to be involved in the intimate details of your life. He desires deeper relationship with you. He delights when you set real goals that align with His heart—loving others well through your family, your work, and your community.

God loves drawing people to Himself through you.

Real goals help make that possible.

If this year has felt off track, go back to the drawing board with fresh clarity and intention. No wishful thinking—just counted costs and committed hearts.

Here’s to a strong start to 2026.

-Mark

The Single Snowflake

It’s snowing today. For nearly half of the country, it’s snowing a lot. My back is living proof—after shoveling more than a foot of snow just to make sure I can get my car out of the driveway tomorrow.

This week, I read a story that made me look at the snow a little differently. Snow became the reference point for beauty and unmistakable uniqueness. Specifically, the uniqueness of every single snowflake. The story centered on a young girl who could see through the fog of daily life and into the sacredness of daily living. She noticed a single person, a quiet opportunity, or a small work of God for its beauty easily missed in a world obsessed with the bigger picture.

When the world sees the snow, a few among us see the snowflakes. They notice and feel what most pass by. That led me to wonder: What is it that I see that others miss? And maybe more importantly, what does God see that we so easily overlook—but could notice if we slowed down and asked Him to show us?

Snowflakes begin as water vapor in the atmosphere when temperatures drop below freezing. As that vapor condenses and freezes, tiny ice crystals form. Each snowflake’s journey through the cloud is shaped by changing temperatures, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. No two journeys are the same, and as a result, no two snowflakes share the same growth story.

While all snowflakes start as simple hexagonal prisms, their intricate branches and patterns emerge from the chaotic environment they pass through. Even snowflakes that appear identical to the naked eye differ at the molecular level.

Wow. Isn’t that just like God—to be so specific, so attentive, so deeply involved in forming something as small and short‑lived as a snowflake? The detail, the care, the intentionality! The conditions must be just right—much like they are for the formation of each one of us.

And then there’s the chaos. The very storms a snowflake passes through are what give it its distinct shape. I’ve watched friends and family walk through seemingly similar storms, yet the lessons, the growth, and the transformation all look different. No two people are formed the same way. We can’t even experience the same event in the same way sitting side by side. God understands the beauty He is creating in each life.

For each of us - the process of living is different. What binds us together is the love of our Creator, who is painting a much larger portrait. Like the snow we see, walk through, play in, and shovel aside, the cumulative effect of God’s deliberate creation becomes the humanity we often rush past.

We can choose to simply move people aside—or we can choose to see each one as a specific, intentional creation, worthy of our attention, even if only for a moment.

So let me ask you: What snowflake are you equipped to see? What corner of life has God gifted you to notice through the clutter—to see the beauty of one part within the whole?

No two snowflakes are alike, and I believe no two callings are either. God has placed within each of us an instinct, a sensitivity, a pull toward something—or someone—through which we can reflect His love to the world.

As the snow falls today, take a moment to look at just one flake. It might land on your jacket or glove, or cling briefly to a window frame.

That snowflake is you.

Uniquely created. Beautiful in your design. One piece among many—yet made to serve a purpose.

Made on purpose.

Sit with that for a moment as you stay warm on this snowy Sunday.

-Mark

Believing Is Seeing

Believing Is Seeing

I’ve been knee-deep in a new book as we kick off 2026. It’s no longer in print—so if you like what you read, you’ll have to scour the web to find one of the few remaining copies still for sale. Lucky for me, I know the author.

He’s a great man with a humble heart, whose love for Jesus has allowed him to have impact beyond anything he ever imagined—not because of extreme talent, but because of a willingness to be obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Today, I want to reflect on Chapter 9 of The Power of an Ordinary Life by the one and only Harvey Hook. The chapter title?

“Believing Is Seeing.”

As a leader, I am often called upon to have vision. We rally around vision and mission more than almost anything else in life. It’s basic human nature to want to know where things are headed—and why taking the road toward that destination matters.

Missions matter. They provide clarity around the who and the why.
Vision matters. It gives context for the where and the when.
(The how—that’s a different conversation, requiring values and execution, and it’s for another article.)

Vision is a compelling image of an achievable future. For believers, vision is the ability to see God’s presence, perceive God’s power, and focus on God’s plan in spite of obstacles. Visionaries are those who can see what is not yet as if it already were. They see beyond the bend in the road.

Right in the middle of his book, Harvey offers several truths that leaders—and those tasked with carrying out vision—need to hear and understand.

Vision always precedes change. And change is almost always met with opposition, especially when the vision for your life comes from our Heavenly Father. If a vision is from God, it will require God to accomplish it. If it is God’s dream, He will pay for it.

Because of that, we should seek a vision for our lives that feels a little scary. The best ones do. They require God’s intervention and provision along the path in order to be fulfilled. That’s how faith is built. Vision demands trust and obedience—often in the face of very real, earthly obstacles.

And every true vision will be tested for authenticity. That’s not a flaw in the process—it is the process.

To understand how believing is seeing (the opposite of how we usually evaluate what’s possible) let’s look at Scripture.

The story of Lazarus is found in John 11. When Lazarus became sick, his sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus. Yet Jesus remained where He was for two more days. Lazarus died and was buried.

When Jesus finally arrived, Martha said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus was moved by the loss of His friend, and He wept. But in God’s plan, the death of Lazarus led to something greater. Jesus raised him from the dead.

Jesus said to Martha,

“He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied. “I believe.”

As the stone was being rolled away from the tomb, Jesus said,

“Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

That’s it. Right there.

When we believe God, we begin to see what He wants us to see. Seeing isn’t believing—because many people at that tomb saw the miracle but did not believe in God. But those who believed saw something deeper: the glory of God revealed through the miracle.

Belief and vision go hand in hand—because believing is seeing.

This story is familiar to me, but I had never connected this truth so clearly. Many witnessed the miracle with their eyes, but their hearts weren’t open to what God was revealing. Those whose hearts belonged to the Lord saw what others missed.

Let us not be among those who miss it.

Each of us feels a unique tug on our heart from the Holy Spirit. No two callings are the same, because God desires to work through each of us specifically. Every one of us has the capacity to receive vision from the Lord for how we can be useful in building His Kingdom.

At first glance, your vision may not make sense. It may not be doable on your own. But if you can’t shake it—if it won’t let you go—you’ll need God to show up in ways you can’t fully explain at the starting line and throughout the race in order to pull it off.

And if it’s His vision, He will show up.

Just as Jesus did in John 11.

So tonight, let’s open our hearts. Let’s not miss the vision God has planted deep within us. And if you’re pursuing that vision—and being tested along the way—take heart. That testing is part of the plan.

Stay the course.

God is on His way.

-Mark

All Things New

All Things New

Here we are on January 1st—another year has begun! The beginning of anything is an interesting time, and this year is no different. We live in such a connected world that we see hosts of posts as we exit what was 2025 and enter into something new called 2026.

I’ve personally read posts that highlight accomplishments and milestones worthy of reflection. I’ve seen vulnerable messages with goals being set to reverse course on roads traveled that now need to be addressed. I’ve also heard people broadcasting their mindset on time, growth, and what it means to enter and exit various seasons of life.

This time of renewal and refocus is special, but we must keep in mind the times we’re in—and God’s promise to make all things new once and for all. While we can trade a number at the end of our written date, the real newness comes from Jesus Himself taking first place in our daily lives.

In Revelation 21, John recounts seeing the new heaven and the new earth. He sees a magnificent Holy City where God dwells among His people. It is here that God promises to wipe every tear from His people’s eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Finally, all creation will be free from the reign and effects of sin. After observing all this, John sees Jesus seated on the throne declaring, “Behold, I make all things new.” This new heaven and new earth is what believers—and all creation—long for.

While Jesus makes all things new, each year we are given a chance to renew our focus for the year ahead, bringing the love of Christ forward into the here and now.

Here in this life, we’re still bound by time. 2026 will be a collection of 365 days. If you’re counting, that’s 8,640 hours—or just a measly 518,400 minutes. For those who’ve made goals to get at least eight hours of sleep this year, you’ll have just over 5,700 hours awake to make your mark on the year ahead. Not much time, but enough to let our light shine in ways that can bring new hope and new life to those around us.

Below are a few examples of how we can redeem more of our time and allow God to move in and through us right where we are.

Four Simple Steps to Transform 2026

Here are four simple steps we can take to allow just 125 hours of our time this year to transform our world.

#1 – Invite one person to church each week
Time Allocation: 5 minutes per week
With a 50% success rate, that’s 26 lives potentially transformed by the Gospel.
Total Time: 4.33 hours in 2026

#2 – Read one chapter of the Bible each day
Time Allocation: 8 minutes on average
There are only 260 chapters in the New Testament. By Q4, you’ll have read all four Gospels, all of Paul’s letters, and straight through Revelation. With God’s Word stamped on your mind, you’ll be more likely to stay in communication with Jesus throughout the day, seeing things as He sees them.
Total Time: 46.6 hours

#3 – Volunteer with family and friends twice each month
Time Allocation: 2 hours per service
This could be at a homeless shelter, retirement center, local church, food bank, or youth event for various nonprofits. There’s no telling the influence you may have on the life of someone in need.
Total Time: 48 hours

#4 – Make one phone call each week to someone you haven’t connected with recently
Time Allocation: 30 minutes each
Nothing replaces a call from someone genuinely interested in how you’re doing. Being seen, cared about, and intentionally connected with is a gift. Be the giver of that gift once per week. See people as fellow children of God—worthy of love and a little bit of time.
Total Time: 26 hours

You can certainly fill in the blanks with your own ideas, but the simplicity of these steps paints a very doable picture. These four commitments, if done consistently, would account for just 2.1% of your awake time this year—yet they could radically transform your connection to Jesus and to those in your direct circle.

I’m planning to implement these four points as a simple way to let the light of Christ brighten my immediate world. My prayer is that you’ll take a look at the opportunities God has blessed you with and find a simple, repeatable list to incorporate as well.

May God bless your 2026.

— Mark

What if Christmas was…

What if Christmas was…

**An adaptation on Max Lucado’s “Christmas Night” featured in God Came Near** 

Thank you Max for this beautiful chapter, slightly adapted here and there. I’ve loved this book and have re-read it multiple years now around Christmas.  I’d highly recommend picking it up.  Link at the bottom of this article.

It’s Christmas night.  The house is quiet. Even the crackle is gone from the fireplace.  Warm coals issue a lighthouse glow in the darkened living room.  Stockings hang empty on the mantle.  The tree stands in the corner, still lit up but not for long.  Christmas cards, tinsel, and memories remind Christmas night of Christmas day.

It’s Christmas night.  What a day it’s been! Eggnog and coffee. Santa Claus. Breakfast casseroles and cinnamon rolls. “Thank you so much.”  “You shouldn’t have!” “Grandma is on the phone.” Knee-deep in wrapping paper.  “It fits!” Flashing cameras and family selfies.

It’s Christmas night. The boys are in bed. Greyson dreams of his new Legos and Franklin is ready to skateboard. Danielle is dreaming about warmer weather and the vacations I promised in her Christmas card.

It’s Christmas night.  The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts, again grows from the Christmas tree stand.  Presents are now possessions.  Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpster.  The dishes are washed and leftover beef tenderloin awaits tomorrows sandwiches.

It’s Christmas night.  The last of the carolers appeared on the ten o’clock news.  The last Jesus’ Birthday cake was eaten by me, to the dismay of my kids. And the last of the Christmas albums have been taken off of playlists and tucked away for next year, having dutifully performed their annual renditions of chestnuts, white Christmases, and red-nosed reindeers .

It's Christmas night.

The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I’m awake.  I’m kept awake by one stunning thought.  The world was different this week.  It was temporarily transformed. The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stopwatches and weapons. We stepped off our race tracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.

It's the season to be jolly because more than at any other time, with think of Him. More than any other season, His name is on our lips.

And the result? For a few precious hours our heavenly yearnings intermesh and we become a chorus.  A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, lawyers, illegal immigrants, mortgage brokers, barbers, and a host of other peculiar persons who are banking that Bethlehem’s mystery is in reality, a reality. “Come and behold him” we sing, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child.

For a few precious hours, he is beheld. Christ the Lord. Those who pass the year without seeing Him, suddenly see Him.  People who have been accustomed to using his name in vain, pause to use it in praise. Eyes now free of the blinders of self, marvel at his majesty.

All of the sudden He’s everywhere.

In the grin of the policeman as he drives the paddy wagon full of presents to the orphanage.

In the twinkle in the eyes of the waiter as he tells of his upcoming trip to see his children.

In the emotion of the father who is too thankful to finish the dinner table prayer.

He’s in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home her son from overseas.

He’s in the heart of the man who spent Christmas morning on skid row giving away cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes.

And he’s I the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings “Away in a Manger”.

Emmanuel. He is with us. God came near.

It’s Christmas night.  In a few hours the cleanup will begin – lights will come down, trees will be thrown out.  Size 34 will be exchanged for size 36, and eggnog will be on sale for half price.  Soon life will be normal again.  December’s generosity will become January’s payments, and the magic will begin to fade.

But for the moment, the magic is still in the air.  Maybe that’s why I’m still awake.  I want to savor the spirit just a bit more.  I want to pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. And I can’t help but linger on one fanciful thought: If he can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could he do it we thought of him every day?

-Mark

Fatigue...At Christmas?

Fatigue...At Christmas?

As we head into the Christmas season and prepare to ring in another new year, we’re often told it’s “the most wonderful time of the year.” A time to pause… to reflect… to see friends and family… to enjoy those we love while celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. It is a time of wonder.  We’ll reveal some of the wonder in our next post.

But—for many of us—this season arrives under a heavy blanket.

We feel tired.
We’ve poured out all year.
December demands more time, more events, more decisions, more everything.
And suddenly we’re ready for bed at 2 p.m.

Fatigue is a real thing.
Let’s look quickly at what it is, why we feel it, and what God’s Word says about it.

What Is Fatigue?

Fatigue isn’t simply “feeling tired.” It’s a psychobiological state where both the body and brain shift after long periods of stress or sustained effort. It affects:

• Perception — how hard something feels

• Motivation — willingness to continue

• Cognitive performance

• Physical performance

Mental and physical fatigue blend into each other more than we realize.

Mental Fatigue

Mental fatigue builds after long, demanding cognitive activity—like trying to close out end-of-year business tasks while hustling from one client or vendor Christmas event to the next.

Research shows:

• After extended cognitive effort, we often stop physical effort sooner—not because our bodies can’t continue, but because the effort feels harder.

• This increase in perceived effort causes performance to drop even when our heart rate, oxygen use, or muscle capacity haven’t changed.

In plain language: mental fatigue makes life feel heavier than it really is.
(And getting dark at 5:30 p.m. doesn’t help either. Thanks daylight savings)

Physical Fatigue

Physical fatigue is both peripheral and central:

• Peripheral: muscles run out of fuel. We sleep less when we’re busy, eat worse when we’re rushed, and overload our schedule until the tank is empty.

• Central: the brain actually reduces its drive to the muscles—its way of forcing us to stop.
  If you won’t rest on your own, your brain will make you rest.

What Does Jesus Say About Fatigue?

While Jesus doesn’t directly address future office Christmas parties thrown in His honor, He does offer timeless truth—truth we desperately need in 2025.

1. Jesus Invites the Weary to Rest

Matthew 11:28–30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus shows us that our work, time, and burdens were never meant to be carried alone.
Even good things can become too much.

He can carry the weight with you.
Talk with Him. He knows. He sees. And He cares.

2. Jesus Points Us to God’s Provision

Matthew 6:28–29

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

This time of year we cram so much into so little time—wrapping up a month, a quarter, and a year all at once. We feel the pressure. It feels like our future depends on how well we manage December.

But Jesus says:
Look at the lilies. God provides.

Some of the most beautiful things in life require no performance at all.

Take a deep breath.
No productivity metric or year-end review can replace the peace only Christ provides.
He loves you.
He sees you.
You are enough in Him.

3. Jesus Is Strong When We Are Weak

2 Corinthians 12:9–10

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

We get tired trying to do it all on our own, under our own strength or ability to manage our chaotic schedule. This year – let’s turn more toward Christ.  We may not have the luxury of neglecting our work, but we can invite him into it with us. We can trust him with the outcomes, and do our best to finish strong because we finish the year walking with Him.

Fatigue is real. However – we don’t have to go it alone. Jesus made claims about this type of feeling.  He is the truth.  This year – let’s take him at his word.

-Mark

Great Great Grandpa’s

I’ve had more conversations than I can count where I ask a simple question:

“Can you tell me the name of your great-great-grandfather?”
In other words, What was your grandpa’s grandpa’s name?

More often than not, people can’t recall. And if they’re honest, that person has never even come up in conversation.

I ask this question to highlight how precious time is—and how quickly both obstacles and opportunities pass us by. We get caught up in the micro-moments of life far too easily. We let frustration, comparison, and temporary desires cloud our vision of what truly matters.

This isn’t an article about ignoring the small things that need to get done. It’s about reframing our emotions and regaining perspective when we feel like things are either going great or falling apart.

Why the question about Great Great Grandpa’s?

Because if we don’t know their names, that also means we don’t know a list of other things:

• What their biggest issues in life were

• What their greatest accomplishments were

• What they would regret if they could do it again

• What they wanted to be when they grew up

• What they believed was most important

• What kept them up at night when they were anxious

We literally don’t know.
It’s all been lost to time.

Scripture warns us about focusing too much on what is temporary and reminds us to fix our eyes on what will last. Consider just a few examples:

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” — James 4:14

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

“For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow?” — Ecclesiastes 6:12

Mist.
Shadow.
Temporary.

Jesus himself tells us not to obsess over tomorrow because today already has enough weight.

Life is short. Our names will not be remembered for long—much less our desires, accomplishments, or defeats.

What Will Last?

Only one name echoes beyond our mist and shadow.

Jesus.

God’s Word.
God’s truth.
God’s kingdom.

Those things remain.

And because of that, today is a powerful reminder to live for what carries into eternity:

• Sharing the love of the gospel

• Lending a helping hand

• Giving generously to impact others

• Spending quiet, focused time with God

• Investing in people and in souls

These things are eternal.

MY GRANDPA’S GRANDPA…

This past Thanksgiving, I received an unexpected gift. My Grandpa showed me a picture of his Grandpa—William Greaves, the first in our family to leave England and come to America.

Now I’ve seen his face.
I know a story or two.
Not much else.

What was his father’s name?
No idea.

But what legacy still makes a mark?
The fact that our family knows the Lord.

That’s the echo that reached me.

Thank you, Great Great Grandpa, for that gift.

And thank you, Jesus, for the open invitation to make this mist—this shadow—count for You.

-Mark

But First… Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving week, and the outpouring of gratitude online, at work, and around our dinner tables is at its annual peak. This time of year is always a joy. Our feeds fill with reflections on blessings, answered prayers, restored relationships, new opportunities, and unexpected moments of grace. What I love most is how genuine these Thanksgiving messages tend to be.

We see family mentioned more than anything else.
We see gratitude for valleys God has carried us through.
We see praise for mountaintop moments we worked hard for, or never saw coming.

As I’m writing this, I’m in the car on Highway 70 heading west to St. Louis with my family. Kids asleep in the back seat. My wife graciously driving so I can type and feel somewhat productive. And somewhere between exits, a thought hit me:

What would we look like as Christians if we were consistently—and publicly—grateful for the opportunities each new day brings?

Staring out the window, I thought about the letters of Paul. He actually did this. It’s remarkable how often he begins his letters not with instruction, correction, or encouragement—but with thanksgiving. Nearly every letter opens with gratitude before anything else.

Check this out:

• Romans 1:8 – “I thank my God…”

• 1 Corinthians 1:4 – “I thank my God…”

• Ephesians 1:16 – “…do not cease giving thanks…”

• Philippians 1:3 – “I thank my God…”

• Colossians 1:3 – “We always thank God…”

• 1 Thessalonians 1:2 – “We give thanks to God always…”

• 2 Thessalonians 1:3 – “We ought always to give thanks…”

• 2 Timothy 1:3 – “I thank God…”

• Philemon 4 – “I thank my God…”

This man was thankful. Not occasionally. Not when things went well. Not once a year in November. He began with thanks. Before teaching. Before correcting. Before encouraging. Before anything else.

Nearly all of these thanksgiving statements appear right in chapter one of the letters we now read in the New Testament.

When I think about my own posture of thanksgiving, I have to be honest… it doesn’t usually come first.
I tend to lean on obedience, sacrifice, or my feeble attempts at humility long before I arrive at gratitude.

But I’m realizing something:
I need to start living from a place of thanksgiving.

A deep gratitude for the day ahead.
A real appreciation for whatever the Holy Spirit places in my path.
A genuine smile for the air I breathe.
A desire to shine the light of Christ wherever I go.
A walk inspired by the reality that my days are numbered—and each one produces eternal value.

This Thanksgiving season, let’s pay attention.
Why are we thankful?
To whom are we thankful?
And do we really need a holiday to remind us?

What would it look like to begin each day the way Paul began his letters,
with gratitude first.

As our cups overflow with joy and thanksgiving, may we pour into others the living water and spiritual nourishment that only Jesus provides.

I hope you all enjoy these moments with family and friends this week.
Grateful.

-Mark