Pastor Chuck’s Blog

9/9/2025

A Different Path

In the New Testament we have a couple of letters that the Apostle Peter wrote to followers of Jesus. In these letters he encourages them in their walk of faith. In his second letter we find a list of things that will help us in this walk. Here’s what he writes:

…..make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7, NIV)

When we take the time to examine this list, what we see is that Peter is talking about taking a different path. This list contains multiple things that our current culture either ignores or finds irrelevant. But each of these things is beneficial to us and they are critical to our walk with God……even if they put us on a different path than the rest of the world.

In the Old Testament we read something about a man the I’m sure you’ve heard of. His name was Noah. Remember him? He’s the one who built an ark. That’s a different subject for a different article, but here’s what we read about him in Genesis chapter 6:

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. (Genesis 6:9, NLT)

If you and I are going to stay faithful in a world that’s resistant to the gospel, we must be willing to walk a different path than the surrounding culture. That’s not always easy, especially when things aren’t going the way you want them to go. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’re worn out. Maybe you’re frustrated or feel as though you’re going backward instead of forward.

Regardless of where you find yourself, stay on the path. Even when it looks so much easier to abandon all of it and just “go with the flow” of the rest of the world, stay on God’s path. It may seem that you’re not making much progress, but you are. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other because God is taking you somewhere on this path. I love what The Message paraphrase says about Noah. Check it out:

“Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah” (Genesis 6:8).

As you stay on the path, God likes what He sees in you as well. You don’t have to be flashy. You don’t have to go viral. You don’t even have to feel effective. Keep doing what God calls you to do. Keep adding to your faith the things in Peter’s list. Noah didn’t have Peter’s list, but he added those things anyway and that’s what set him apart. He walked with God, even when the rest of the world walked away.

Your steady, faithful walk matters more than you realize.

7-23-2025

We’ve talked about this before, but like so many other things, we sometimes need a reminder………

Many people, if not most, navigate the day with some kind of prepared agenda: a to-do list, to be more specific. I get it. A to-do list is quite helpful in getting things done, keeping us on target and on track throughout the day. And, of course, it feels pretty great when we get to mark things off the list as we make progress.

However, another very important list – I would say, an equally important list – is a not-to-do list, or as I recently heard it called, a to-don’t list.

We’re usually focused on the to-do list and don’t think much about the to-don’t list. But what if today your to-don’t list looked something like this:

Today I won’t scroll endlessly on social media.
Today I won’t raise my voice to the kids (or spouse, or anyone).
Today I won’t skip Bible reading and prayer.
Today I won’t give in to temptation.
Today I won’t engage in self-pity.
Today I won’t get sidetracked by someone else’s agenda for me.

Sometimes the list will consist of actions that might be OK on other days, but this day you’re taking a break, such as putting down your phone for the afternoon or taking a day off from your hobby.

Other times the list is made up of actions and attitudes we must always avoid…..things like: I will not think these thoughts, I will not say these words, I will not entertain this idea. Two verses, both from Israel’s King David, come to mind:

In Psalm 101 King David declared: I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. (Psalm 101:3 NASB)

In Psalm 119 it became his prayer: Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. (Psalm 119:37)

Here is where we discover the power of the list. Avoiding the don’ts gives us more time for the greatest to-do of all: seeking God’s greater presence through the life-sustaining gift of His Word.

6-2-2025

ACTION!

Imagine you’re on a movie set.

The director yells “action.” The actor delivers the line. The director yells “Cut.” The angle wasn’t quite right. Adjustments are made and they try again.

The director yells “action.” The actor delivers the line. This time he fumbles a phrase. The director yells “cut” and they try again.

The director yells “action.” The actor delivers the line. Again, the director yells “cut.” We’re getting a shadow. Let’s try again.

The director yells “action.” The actor delivers the line. “Cut, cut, cut.” The words were right, but there’s something missing. We need to feel it more. Let’s try again.

The director yells “action.” The actor delivers the line. The director yells “cut.” Not bad, this time. I think we can use this one, but let’s do a few more, just in case.

It can be exhausting, saying the same words again and again, expressing the same emotion again and again, striving for the same result again and again.

Making movies is tedious work. Is it worth it? Any actor would say, “Yes!”

Our lives are made up of one take after another, one attempt after another to do our job and meet our obligations and fulfill our purpose with excellence. How many takes does it take to get it right?

It takes as many takes as it takes.

Sometimes it all comes together on the first try. And sometimes you have do it again and again and again. Others see only the end result. But we know what was left on the cutting room floor. We know it’s not always as easy as it looks.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Every day is a new day. A new take. A new chance to get it right, to deliver the performance of our lives. This day deserves the best you have to give.

Are you ready?

“Action.”

And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Clarke High School graduation is this coming Sunday (May 18, 2025). So if you will allow me, I’d like to address this post to the graduating class of 2025.

2025 graduates: One of the greatest hazards to success is fear. While not all fear is bad, everyone knows what its like to be afraid. Fear immobilizes us and keeps us from doing things we could or should do. With that in mind, let me give you some brief steps to success.

First, face your fears.

Did you know that the term, “Fear not” is found in the Bible 365 times? Coincidence? I think not. God has give us a, “fear not” for every day of the year because with God in your corner there is no reason to fear. So you can run from your fears, or you can face your fears with God and find success. Author Max Lucado says, “Fear doesn’t want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.”

Graduates, living far away from home can be fearful at times. Going in for a job interview can be traumatic. Not having any friends who care about you can be devastating. But with God, you can live courageously and to trust Him to help you on this journey called, “Life”. Second,

Forget your failures.

We all have them. No one is perfect, meaning that everyone fails from time to time. But failure doesn’t have to be final. Some people will experience some level of failure and let it define them for the rest of their lives. There’s an individual in the Bible who experienced multiple failures, but refused to let them define him. His name was Paul. His story is too long for this article, but look at something he wrote:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Paul refuses to allow failures to dictate his life and keep him from achieving his goal. Again, there will be failures. The only ones who never do anything wrong are the ones who never do anything. But never allow failure to make us quit trying. In the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, “Never give up! Never give up! Never, never, never give up!” Here’s my third word of advice:

Follow your faith.

On day six of the ill-fated mission of Apollo 13, the astronauts needed to make a critical course correction. If they failed, they might never return to Earth. To conserve power, they shut down the onboard computer that steered the craft. Yet the astronauts needed to conduct a thirty-nine-second burn of the main engines. How to steer? Astronaut Jim Lovell determined that if they could keep a fixed point in space in view through their tiny window, they could steer the craft manually. That focal point turned out to be their destination–Earth. As shown in 1995’s hit movie, Apollo 13, for thirty-nine agonizing seconds, Lovell focused on keeping the earth in view. By not losing sight of that reference point, the three astronauts avoided disaster.

The Bible tells us how to succeed when it says, “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”. (Hebrews 12:2)

You can be flexible on many things in life, and you should be. But when it comes to the succeeding in life, keeping your eyes on Jesus and following your faith will never fail you.

Face your fears. Forget your failures. Follow your faith. That’s not absolutely everything you’ll need, but these three provide a solid foundation to build upon as you move forward in life. Congratulations class of 2025! And God bless you as you pursue your dreams!

3-4-2025

A few years back, a man named Andy Law was reading his Tampa Bay, Florida newspaper when he came across a story that shocked him. The story detailed how Joseph Prudente, a sixty-six year old man in nearby Beacon Woods, had gone to jail … for the crime of having a brown lawn. No kidding. A brown lawn.

Joseph had received notices from the local homeowners association that his grass wasn’t green enough for community standards. Facing health problems and struggling financially, Joseph overlooked the notices. He could barely make his mortgage payment; lawn care was a luxury beyond his means. So the homeowner’s association did what was in their power: they filed a court order against him and had him arrested – without the option of posting bail.

Here’s where Andy comes in. He had troubles of his own. His business was failing, he was on the verge of losing his own house, and he was considering bankruptcy. But as he read Joseph Prudente’s story, Andy decided that something must be done. He began making phone calls and soon the Prudente’s yard was full of working volunteers. During the day, others dropped off gifts. Another man came to repair the sprinkler. Andy borrowed some lawn equipment and convinced a nursery to donate sod.

By sundown, their work was done: the yard was covered with new green grass, trimmed with red mulch, flowers, and the sprinkler was working again. As the work was completed, there was a sudden, thick downpour. Joseph’s wife, Jennifer, stood in the rain with her arms open wide. “Our luck is changing,” she said.

The next day Joseph was released from jail. Though he still faced fines and court costs, he is now a free man … as long his grass stays the right shade of green.

Great for Joseph, right? But really, this story is more about Andy than it is about Joseph. Yes, it’s outrageous, and definitely unfair (more on that, Sunday), that you can go to jail for having brown grass, and it’s great that he was released, but even more impressive is the fact that one young man, also down on his luck, put his own problems on the back burner long enough to make a difference in someone else’s life.

This is an example of Paul’s words in Philippians being put into practice. Paul wrote:

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

Let’s all keep our eyes open for the opportunities around us to make a difference in someone else’s life. We may not have the opportunity to get someone out of jail, but we may have an opportunity to encourage them and help them take their next step forward.