Pastor Chuck’s Blog

8-10-2022

Start With The Basics

Summer is winding down. County Fairs have ended and the Iowa State Fair kicks off tomorrow, school will be starting before we know it and then it’s time for some football. Maybe you enjoy football, maybe you don’t. Either way, the legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi, has a great reminder for all of us – even when it’s not football season and even if you don’t like football.

In 1960, the Green Bay Packers’ season ended on a disappointing note. They were playing the Philadelphia Eagles for the National Championship. (This was before the Super Bowl era.) The Packers came into the fourth quarter behind by 4, but scored a touchdown to take the lead. Unfortunately for them, the Eagles scored a touchdown as well and when the Packers were unable to capitalize on a last-minute opportunity, they lost the game, 17-13.

During the off-season, Coach Vince Lombardi came to the conclusion that his players, though talented, had failed to focus on the fundamentals of the game. So, when training camp began in the following season, he decided to take a back-to-basics approach in rebuilding the team.

And he decided to start at the very beginning. In the opening team meeting, he held up a ball and said, “Gentlemen, first things first. This is a football.”

Here we are, some 62 years later and even today we find ourselves, at times, losing sight of our priorities. When that happens, we sometimes find ourselves “fumbling the ball” and “failing to execute” in a way that leads to success. But the Apostle Paul wrote this to encourage us:

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (1 Corinthians 9:24, NLT)

When you find yourself struggling, or stumbling, it’s time to get your eyes back on the prize. It’s time to get back to the basics. The truth is, sometimes we have to remind ourselves:

This is my family.
This is my job.
This is priority one for me.
This is a new day.
This is a Bible.
This is a church.
This is my relationship with God.

That 1960 National Championship game marked the lone playoff defeat for Packers coach Vince Lombardi before his Packers team established a dynasty that won five NFL championships, as well as the first two Super Bowls, in a span of seven seasons. Lombardi’s “lets-start-at-the-beginning strategy” wasn’t the only reason the Packers won all of those championship games, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

You probably don’t have a locker room with a coach who challenges and encourages you. But you have something better. You have this promise from Jesus:

….all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27, NIV)

If you find yourself “fumbling the ball”, maybe it’s time to locate square one, identify step one, and begin again…..with the basics.

8-3-2022

If you’re like most people (and you are), there are many days when you feel like the load you’re carrying is too much. Whether it’s the weight of providing for your family, or the weight of maintaining relationships, or even the weight of dealing with an illness……the weight can be heavy. When the emotional weight we are carrying is heavy, we sometimes want to stop and give up, but if you’ve ever done that you know that it’s difficult to get going again. Another response is to put things on cruise control and keep trudging along, but that only means you keep going at the same pace and don’t really make the progress you want. The third option is the one I want to suggest to you: shift gears and keep going as you ask Jesus to lighten your load. Here’s what Jesus said:

“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.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

Jesus and Paul are two people in the Bible that put the qualities of resilience, endurance, and determination on full display. In spite of opposition, Jesus was determined to keep going. In spite of pain, Paul was determined to keep going. And you’re thinking, “That’s great for Jesus and Paul, but where do I get the strength to keep going when I feel like I’m tired, I’m worn out, and I don’t have the emotional energy to keep going?” Great question! Let me give you for suggestions that will help you:

First: Honestly tell God what you’re feeling. God already knows every emotion you feel and He understands your feelings better than you do. So why tell Him? Because He LOVES to listen to you, and because it eases your burden to know that someone else knows. Most of us don’t want to burden someone else with the load we’re carrying, but God says, “Bring it on! I’m ready and I want to hear from you!”

Second: Humbly ask God for strength. We’re all guilty of trying to do things on our own all the time. I recently saw a meme that said, “The number one cause of injuries in older men is them thinking they’re younger men.” This is a complex world we live in, and the burdens are heavy, so humbly ask God for strength. He is the source of wisdom and strength, so keep asking God for strength every day!

Third: Gratefully thank God for all that’s good, despite all that’s bad. We’ve all heard that every cloud has a silver lining. Whether that’s true in actual clouds or not is beyond me. But I do know that in every circumstance there is still hope. It’s sometimes difficult to find it or to be grateful in the midst of a crisis or a hard day. But when you’re worn out, or you’re experiencing burnout, that’s when you need the tool of gratitude the most to help refill your empty emotional tank.

Finally: Constantly keep God as your focus. The reason Jesus could keep going was because of what He focused on! He didn’t focus on the current pain, but on the future joy.

You’re going to have good days and bad days. That’s part of humanity. Doing these 4 things won’t keep the challenges from coming, but they’ll make it easier to keep going. And remember, God wants to help you carry that burden, so let Him!

7-27-2022

A Little At A Time

We’ve talked about going all in with God, turning our lives completely over to the Lord. When we do that, we think giving our all to God is like dropping a one thousand-dollar bill in the offering plate, as if to say: “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.”

What you may have discovered is that the reality is more like the Lord sending us to the bank and having us exchange the $1000 bill for 4000 quarters.

And then we go through life giving away 25 cents here and 50 cents there, in his service.

Like when we help a neighbor in need. Or minister to someone who is lonely. Or offer a word of encouragement. Or prepare a meal for a friend. Or serve on a committee or in some ministry at church.

Giving your all to God isn’t as flashy as one might think. It’s done in all these little acts of love, 25 cents, 50 cents or $1 at at time.

It would be comparatively easy to go out in a flash of glory. While it’s more difficult to live the Christian life little-by-little over the long haul, the rewards are well worth it. Remember what Jesus said:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

So keep living for Jesus and giving him your all……even if it’s a quarter at a time.

7-20-2022

Long before the compass was ever invented, sailors and adventurers navigated by looking for the North Star. They did this because, no matter the weather or the circumstances, it remained constant and immovable. In the same way, Christ and the reality, truth, and power of the Cross doesn’t change. The Cross is the true north for our life.

Sometimes our hurts can be deep enough that they begin to cloud our confidence and belief that God cares about us. We begin to move and navigate our life from a wounded place. That’s the time to remember the Cross and that Christ was wounded for us and by His wounds we are healed. God repairs our wounds, heals our hurt, and mends our broken hearts.

Sometimes when we experience loss, the enemy tries to undermine our trust in the goodness of God. We begin to ask, “If God is good, then why did this loss occur?” When this happens we can look to the Cross and realize that God lost His own son. God knows what it’s like to lose something precious. But God experienced loss because He is good, and He knew that Jesus was the only way we could be free and step into true life.

Sometimes our circumstances can get so loud they start to undermine the belief that God is sovereign. When this happens we can remember that the day Jesus died on the Cross it looked like God was never more out of control. But, on that day, God was never more in control. He took the most powerful empire on earth, a crazy crowd, Judas the betrayer, the scales of injustice, and used it all to accomplish His plan. If He could accomplish His plan with all of that, imagine what He can do for us!

Always remember what the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah wrote: The Lord will guide you always…..(Isaiah 58:11a, NIV)

My prayer for you today is that, no matter the hurt, no matter the loss, no matter the circumstances, when you are faced with a storm of life or uncertainty that threatens or challenges your beliefs, you would look to the Cross. As you look to the Cross, you will find the love and power God has to reconcile, restore, and renew your spirit.

7-14-2022

If you grew up in a Christian home and your family took the time to pray prior to eating meals, you may have learned this childhood prayer: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” While simplistic, this prayer covers one key characteristic of God: His goodness.

Is it really true that God is good all the time? Absolutely – but the circumstances of life and the voices of our current culture can sometimes keep us from seeing His goodness. We say this all the time: It’s easy to forget in the dark what we learned in the light. It can be hard to believe in God’s goodness for many reasons, including when we’re in pain. We forget it when we’re in conflict. We think it’s for everyone else except us when we’re depressed. And when we’re worried or stressed out, we can’t seem to find—much less think about—God’s goodness, even when it’s right in front of us.

So how can we trust in God’s goodness when we don’t feel it? God’s Word reminds us of his goodness over and over: “The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation” (Psalm 100:5, TLB).

Focusing on God’s goodness is important to your life because it gives you perspective in your darkest days, when you need it the most. God wants to give you a life of confidence. He wants to give you assurance. He wants to protect you. He wants to give you a life of influence and abundance. He wants to give you a life filled with generosity. Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t need that?

When you believe and understand the goodness of God, it will revolutionize your life and your relationships. So remember, God is great and God is good! Circumstances change, but God does not. So focus on Him and His goodness!