I am reading through a one-year Bible right now and today I landed in Matthew 13 – “The Parable of the Sower.”  This is one of the good parables where Jesus really takes the time to explain himself and what he means to the disciples.  Remember, Jesus picked ordinary guys to do his work and they need help sometimes.  I need help understanding Him most of the time as well.  Anyway, what really stood out was the passage in verse 7, “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.”

When I first read that  I just glossed over and kept reading, but when I got down to Jesus’ explanation in verse 22 I had a “lightbulb” moment.  Jesus explains this part of the parable like this, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

My life has become so full of stuff that time gets away from me.  The speed of life is ever increasing and technology causes everything to affect everything.  We are never “off duty.”

I seem to be living in the weeds and thorns of life.  The thing about thorns are once you get into a thorny bush the bush digs into your skin and holds onto you.  The thorns dig into your skin and cause you pain if you pull back.  I try to study my Bible every day, but that seems to be the first thing to get the boot if something “important” comes up.  I guess fortunately, I have been a Christian for a long time and have had a chance to grow my relationship with my Savior.  However, the way everyone’s life is today they are all going so fast and staying so busy that it doesn’t take much for things to get in your way and to clutter up your mind.  Whether you are a new believer or a long-time believer you have to deal with the thorn bushes in your life.

I would encourage you to get the weed-eater out today and start cutting back some of the weeds and thorny bushes that clutter your mind and your life and keep you from blossoming into the person that you were created to be.  Don’t let life get in the way and choke out the beautiful fruit that you were created to produce.

“You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers.  In every momen tof our existence, ware are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.”

- Deepak Chopra

How many choices have you made today?  Probably a thousand, and most of them haven’t been done with you consciously thinking about them.  Do you get up when the alarm goes off or do you hit snooze?  Do you brush your teeth before or after you take your shower?  Maybe some of your choices have more of an impact on your day, but nonetheless, you are constantly making choices in your life.

Andy Stanley preached a sermon and wrote about book about the “best question ever.”  He asked, “What is the wise thing for me to do, in light of my past experience, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams?”

Choose to do what is wise.  Choose to do what is better.  When faced with a choice, ask yourself, “Which choice will help me to fulfill God’s call on my life.  Not all choices are bad choices.  Some choices are good choices, but some are better.

Luke 10: 38-42 tells of when Jesus came to visit Mary, Martha and Lazarus at Martha’s house, Martha was busy preparing a meal and making sure the house was in order for their “guest of honor.”  But instead of helping her older sister, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him and learned from Him.  Martha felt like she had to do all of the work she was doing to honor Jesus.  Realize, she made a choice to work rather than sit with Jesus.  Mary made a choice to sit with her Lord.  In Luke 10: 41-42, Jesus told Martha, “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Romans 12: 2

Conformed: To bring into agreement or correspondence; make similar. (dictionary.com).

Transformed: To change markedly the appearance or form of; to change the nature, function, or condition of (dictionary.com).

Renewing: To make new or as if new again; restore (dictionary.com).

Change: to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone (dictionary.com).

I have been thinking a lot about change recently.  People don’t like change.  In fact, tomorrow in the United States is election day and we will elect a new president.  Many things will change over the next few months and years as the country’s new leadership changes how things have been done in the past.  Both presidential candidates have been running on the platform of “change.”  In the political world it seems change is not only possible and necessary, but it is anticipated and longed for.

So why are people so afraid of the word change in a “religious” setting?  Whether it is something major like a change in worship format or something minor like a change in time for an event.  Change haunts many churches.  We try to make changes less painful.  We call them different things, but by becoming a christian we are required to undergo a change – a transformation.  We become a new creation, and we are supposed to be different from the world we live in.

In a business setting, not changing your product’s offerings to reach the new customer base will lead you straight out of business.  If Ford were still selling the Model T there is no way it could compete with all of the other options and competitors.  People want CD players, V8′s, GPS systems, DVD players, speed, slick looks, tinted windows and more.  Even if it was dirt cheap, people would rather pay more for something they liked better.  The Model T is simply not the product people are shopping for when they are looking for a new car.  It is similar in the church setting. Churches are not providing what people need.  Don’t get me wrong.  Church should not be about making people happy and making people feel good at the cost of watering down the good news of Jesus or by skipping over the parts that hurt our feelings or challenge us.  Church is about worshipping the one, true God.  Church is about community, fellowship and support.  Church is about learning how to go through life by becoming more and more like Christ.  But, churches should strive to be relevant to today’s culture.  The Church should strive to be essential to its community.  Sometimes that means changing the offerings, times, styles, and formats.  Sometimes it just means being authentic and doing what you do best for God!

Churches that refuse to change will still need a building program.  Except the capital campaign will not be to raise money to reach the community.  It won’t be used to construct a new worship facility.  It won’t be used to refurbish and renovate an existing facility to to upgrade the technology being used.  Rather it will be to expand the cemetary.  That scares me!

By refusing to change the church shoots itself in the foot.  Rather than fulfilling the Great Commission of going and making disciples, the church simply dies.  This pushes people away from the Church rather than bringing them into God’s kingdom.

We are called to make disciples as we live our lives.  We are called to grow into a deeper relationship with our Lord.  Our life should be transformed by His love and grace and it should be apparent to those we come in contact with.  Once we accept Jesus’ command to “go make disciples” and we are transformed to the point where we are excited and intentional about reaching people for Christ the changes we face will be easier to make.

As I look at the definition of change above, the scripture from Romans 12: 2 really hits home. I am thankful for God’s grace that I have been “changed” to “something different from what [I] was [before]” or “what [I] would [have been] if left alone.”

I also have my own struggles and pain.  While, thankfully, it does not involve the IRS or the family court, it is important to me and painful.  I discuss it with people and feel like they just don’t understand me.

I came across a scripture this morning in Hebrews 4: 15-16 that sure helps me.  We hear how Jesus was perfect.  He lived a sinless life.  He worked miracles and his father is God Almighty – the creator of the universe.  Not to mention the fact that he lived and walked on the earth over 2000 years ago – before we have all of the stresses of life that we have today.  How in the world could he understand what we are dealing with.  How could he feel our pain?  The scripture says this:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I’m so glad that we have a place to go and someone to talk to who will understand our needs and our pain just as though he lived through it himself.  We can take comfort that we can share our deepest desires and our most painful thoughts and fears with Him when we come to the foot of His throne.

Along with a slow market comes more claims against attorneys for not picking up little details because they were so busy making money on these closings that it didn’t matter.  They may miss a detail or overlook something important or forget to reconcile their trust account for a closing, but because so much money was going through there, they didn’t get caught.  Until now.

All of this talk brought up an old Wall Street quote, “when the tide comes in it floats all boats.”  Basically, if you can hold on until the tide comes back in and the market turns around, the market will save your business.  This particular law firm, and many like it, couldn’t wait on the tide to come in.  Their boat sank.

There is a Warren Buffett quote in response to the Wall Street quote: “When the tide goes out you can see who has been swimming naked.”

People and businesses that haven’t been exercising good business practices and have been working on the edge because the tide would save them are now having trouble “covering themselves up” because the tide has gone out.  They have been caught skinny dipping.

Have you been caught with you pants down because you thought the tide of life was going to keep you covered?  A lot of things that cause us the most trouble are hidden just under the surface where we think they are safely out of sight of everyone around us.  We just skip over the little things because “no one will notice.”  But just like the sub-prime lenders and the law firms who were making tons of money, you and I have been or will be exposed.

I know that I fall short all the time and I frustrate God and do not make him proud sometimes.  I keep my sin hidden in the dark so no one else can see.  But thankfully I serve a God of grace, love, hope and forgiveness.  Though I strive to serve Him in a blameless manner, I fail.  I do take hope that the Apostle Paul, someone who served Jesus Christ in an awesome way also struggled with sin and recorded his struggles in Romans 7: 18-25, where he states, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

While we are human, we should strive for Christ-likeness.  To live free from sin.  But we know that we will struggle with sin just as the Apostle Paul did.  But we are thankful for the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross that rescues us from our sin.

Back in Bible times the talent was a portion of money.  In ancient Greece, a talent was the amount of money it would take to pay a crew of a trireme (a Greek warship) for one month’s work.  This was at least 50 people, but probably more.  M-W.com’s definiton of “talent” is: a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal or the natural endowments of a person.

I think Jesus was probably “double talking” to those listening to this parable.  They would clearly understand a talent is a lot of money, but might also see that Jesus was trying to get at the particular aptitude or endowment that the individual was good at.

I have always been kind of jealous of some of my friends and even my brother.  They seem to be the guys that God gave five talents to (or sometimes more).  And their gifts are very clear.  They are good musicians and singers, artists, and speakers.  Something that God could really use for his kingdom here on earth.  I feel like I’m the guy that just got one talent.  And it seems like it is pretty obscure.  I have been working hard trying to find out what my talent(s) is/are, but more importantly how I can I use my talents for God’s glory.  Because I don’t want to stand before God when I die and look back on the things I did in my life and have God call me lazy and wicked because I buried my talent and did not use it.

In my daily Bible reading I am currently reading in 1 Timothy.  1 Timothy is a letter from the Apostle Paul to his protege, Timothy.  Kind of a little coaching session from the master to the student.  In Chapter 4, Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have…Practice these things , immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.”

Like the first two servants in the parable of the talents, we have to use our talents and gifts.  We should also take Paul’s advice and practice and immerse ourselves in them so we progress to the point of excellence.  Our gifts and talents come easily and naturally to us.  But we should strive to be the best in the world at them and not do them half way.  It was always frustrating to me when I was playing high school football.  There were some natural athletes on the team that didn’t have to work out and they could bench press 300 pounds and run a 4.4 secord 40 yard dash.  Then there was me – the skinny, short, slow kid who did everything he could and seemed to hit the glass ceiling on his potential way too early.  Those “naturals” out there could have played college football, but they didn’t.  They were lazy.  They didn’t use their talents.  I know if I was frustrated and mad because these guys who were my teammates didn’t use their talents to their full potential – I can’t imagine how frustrated God must get when His children, His creation fail to use their talents or fail to give him their full and best effort.

So.  Are you burying your talents and gifts?  Or, are you fully using them to bring glory to God?  Will God be able to say “well done, good and faithful servant?”

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12: 42-43

I got thinking about my life.  I feel like I live a good life.  I have one of those “boring stories” about how I came to Christ.  I wasn’t a drug dealing pimp who completely did a 180 and was rescued from my crazy life by the saving grace of Jesus.  I grew up going to church week in and week out.  Spent a lot of time with the youth group, going on mission trips, and spending time with my accountability group and youth pastor.  I didn’t get into trouble, and just did “good” things.  I have spent a lot of time in my life trying to please people.  I didn’t want to get in trouble because I didn’t want to embarrass my family or have my reputation tarnished.  I wouldn’t follow what I really wanted to study as a college major because I thought everyone expected me to get an engineering degree – and secretly, it made me feel good that people were really impressed that was my area of study because it was pretty hard and people thought I was really smart even though I had no idea what I would do with the degree and I was not passionate about any topic I studied except graduation.  Then I went on to law school with the same outlook.

I have gathered many titles and impressive degrees, but have not stopped to think how those help me to achieve my purpose here on earth.  But rather than stop, get still and listen for God’s will in my life I stay busy and seek after the glory of man with my titles, degrees, and jobs so the world won’t reject me.

I have been pretty lukewarm towards God my whole life even though I have tried to be good and do good, and that scares me.  Jesus said to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3: 15-16:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

My being good only impresses man.  It actually makes God sick.  My prayer is that I will be hot for the things of God and fulfill the mission and the passion he placed me on earth for.  Are you hot, cold or just lukewarm?  While no one is perfect, join me in striving for the glory of God in all that we do.

The Bible says in Romans 5: 3-4:

3Not only so, but we^[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I can’t say it better than Paul did, but I know that I have always seen this progression in my troubles.  I learn what it takes to get through them (perseverance/endurance) which builds character and character builds hope.  We learn to be “hope-full” because of how God has delivered us in the past.

On it’s own, this verse helped me today but when I continued reading in the Psalms I immediately had that “A-ha” moment.

Psalm 71: 14:

But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

Because of what God has done for me and because of how he has proven Himself over and over I should always have hope and praise God more and more.  Times of trial should lead to “more and more” praise because we know God will teach us more about perseverance and character and lead us to more hope.

As an aside, I think the Message version of the Bible translates Romans 5: 3-5 in an awesome way:

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Praise God that he never short changes us; rather, we can’t produce enough containers to hold everything GOd wants to pour into our lives!

As Iron sharpens Iron,
so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27: 17)

During my life there have been times when I have felt extremely close to God and where he has placed me on earth.  There are other times when I have felt very far from God.  Those times where I felt extremely close to God, I was involved with a small group of men who held each other accountable for the things we struggle with, we studied God’s word together, we helped each other through tough times, we hung out together all the time, and were best friends.

I would encourage everyone to have a group of people who can help keep you “sharp” and accountable.

Even David, a king and "a man after God’s own heart" felt like this sometimes.   In Psalm 57: 4 David says:

I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

The world can try to bring us down with lots of stuff.  But just like David, we take refuge in God, for great is [His] love, reaching to the heavens; [His] faithfulness reaches to the skies (Psalm 57: 10).