
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Making Time.
Don’t you wish sometimes we could really make time? I could get so much more done…at least that’s what I tell myself because it sounds lofty. Truth of the matter is, if I actually could make time, I would probably produce it into perpetuity so that I could perfect the art of procrastination. We use the phrase ‘make time’ so often it’s surprising we don’t really believe we can…but then that’s not really what we mean is it. What we mean is that we will take time. When we tell someone we will make time for them, what we are really saying is we will take some of the time we have, and dedicate it to them.
As a pastor and a counselor I get to ask people on the regular to tell me about their personal relationship with Christ and what that looks like to them. I don’t ask to be judgmental. I simply understand that more Jesus improves any situation and I want to see how I can help them access more Jesus in their own lives. One of the answers I often hear is some variation of; “I know I need to make more time to read my bible. Or, I might hear them say they need to make more time for prayer. They might even say they simply need to make more time for the Lord in their lives.
What if that is all upside down? What if we need to be walking so closely with the Lord that we have to interrupt that, to ‘make time’ for the rest of our lives? What if we stopped trying to find time, make time or take time to fit God into our lives and we started trying to fit the daily requirements of our lives into our relationship with God? Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 start to make sense and illustrate that kind of a walk with God to be a possibility. It says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Paul isn’t suggesting that you and I spend the duration of the day and night on our knees beside our beds 24-7. He is saying that a successful life recognizes the necessity to allow our spirits to be in communication with the Holy Spirit living inside us at all times. Every opportunity that presents itself during any given day should be undertaken only after prayerful consideration as to how God wants us to proceed. We need to be continually in prayer if our every move is to to be calculated and our every word measured so we can best illustrate the immense love of God for those we interact with. Do you know when I have to back track and ask someone to forgive me for not handling a situation correctly that involved them? When I acted from Ken’s direction and not from Christ’s, which by the way I could have had if I had only consulted Him.
So which of our relationships with others should we be making sure God shines through us in? All of them! Colossians 3:18-24 says: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Wow, Paul didn’t really leave anyone out. Every relationship we have, marriage, as children, (notice there is no caveat for being over 21) as parents, as employers and employees, basically everyone, is to be treated as if that person were Christ Himself!
An interesting thing to ponder for certain, how would we treat Jesus if He were our houseguest? Would we run out of the house before we spent any time visiting with Him in the morning? Would we go through our entire day too busy to consider that He was right there with us? Would we go home, rush to get dinner on the table, quickly glance up to thank Him for bringing the groceries and then dive into our meal without another word His way? Would we spend the rest of the evening without another thought to the truth that He was right there sitting on the couch wishing like crazy we would engage in conversation? How would we treat our spouse, our family, our boss, our employees, anyone we encountered if we literally took Him with us everywhere we went for a day, a week, a month? Would we introduce Him to people or just ignore that He was standing there?
My toes hurt really bad just considering these things, so don’t be upset with me if yours are a little bruised too. As with all of my ‘Thoughts on a Thursday’ podcasts, I am sharing those things the Lord has been speaking to me about. The things I need to be more diligent with. They are simply my thoughts, if they help you too, great! If not, please encourage me when you see me to get better at my walk with the Lord. I think we all have room to improve at having a life so filled with Him that we have to ‘make time’ for the rest of the world.
1 Corinthians 10:31 sums it up, Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So now, with priorities straight, fitting what the world wants from you into your walk with your sweet, sweet Savior and Lord…Go be Awesome!
Jun 24, 2021
5 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Meals.
This past week pastor Rick spoke about Jesus feeding the five thousand. He made some interesting points from this scripture not the least of which was that we ought to be less ready to send our problems away. There is great truth in that. When we send our problems away because we would rather not deal with them, we eliminate the possibility of being witness to how God will solve them. We literally are making a concerted effort to subdue the mighty hand of God, though we would probably never say it that way. The truth is the truth though, when we desire to have no problems, we desire to see no miracles.
Let’s look again briefly at the account picking it up as Jesus wrapped up the afternoon of healing and teaching. Mark 6:35-44 reads as follows: When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
One of the other things that I love about this scripture is that after the disciples asked Jesus to send the problem away (to send the people into nearby towns to buy food), Jesus’ response was designed to teach them. In verse 37, we read that Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Due to their answer to Him, which was a question about how they should pay for the amount of food it would take, I don’t think the disciples got his meaning at the time. Jesus was trying to teach His disciples that it was always the right time to love people by meeting their needs. I think He was also using an incredible teachable moment to help them see that ministry should never cease because supplies seem short. Lesson #1 for the disciples that day: It is always the right time to love those around you by meeting their needs.
Jesus response to the question of funding was telling as well. In the very next verse it is recorded for us that Jesus ignored the question of money (the obvious source of solution to the problem) and simply told the disciples to see what they had on hand. Jesus knew there was a need for bread, so he didn’t waste time talking about money, that wasn’t the need. He asked, “How many loaves of bread do we have? Go and see.” Upon the completion of their search, though I am not sure it was a very exhaustive one…my wife and my mother say men don’t know how to look for anything…they found one young boy’s lunch. Five rolls and two fish. They returned to Jesus to let him know all they had was one lousy happy meal.
I have to wonder, were they sarcastic when they told Jesus what they had found? Did they give it to him with some quick glances between them, just “knowing” sending the people away when they had first suggested it would have been the prudent thing to do. I don’t know. What I am fairly sure of is that they were not handing that happy meal over with a faith filled expectation of what was about to take place. I believe that because Jesus then modeled faith in God by telling everyone to sit down and get ready to eat…while He was still holding only 5 rolls and 2 fish. Lesson # 2 for the disciples that day: acting in faith is the only way to see miracles take place.
What happened next? Jesus got happy about a happy meal. It says that when He had thanked God for the provision, He broke the bread and divided the fish and a group of 5-12 thousand people ate until they were full. Lesson # 3 for the disciples that day: thank God for His supply even while it is not yet evident. God loves seeing faith placed in Him. It illustrates that the faithful person understands that everything comes from God. It shows that there is a recognition of not only God’s immeasurable power, but also of His immense love for the powerless.
It would have been miraculous if there had been enough food for half of the people and Jesus doubled it. Even more so if He had tripled or quadrupled the amount He began with. But He began with one little boy’s lunch…one lousy happy meal, and He fed thousands of people until they could eat no more! With God there is no starting place too small. You don’t lack enough to be unusable in God’s hands. You can never have too little for God to use. It is interesting, this scripture doesn’t say the disciples stole that kid’s lunch. It doesn’t say they bought it from him. The inference then is that the kid gave them his happy meal. Lesson # 4 - God doesn’t need us to have much to use us, His ability makes up any difference that may be lacking, He only needs us to be willing to let Him use what we have.
Finally, I find it amazing that there were 12 basketfuls left over. Mom always used this scripture to point out that Jesus believed in leftovers when I was being ungrateful for them as a kid. I think there is even greater truth here though…sorry mom…I still don’t care that much for leftovers. I have heard it said that there were 12 basketfuls left over so that each unbelieving disciple had to carry a bushel of their newly learned lesson. Maybe. Pastor said what a blessing it might have been if it was all presented to the boy the happy meal originally came from…that sure would have made for many more happy meals at his house in the next few days after that. We don’t know if that’s what happened either…the Bible doesn’t tell us. What we do know is there was another lesson for the disciples that day. Lesson # 5 God’s ability to meet our needs, far supersedes our needs. God is infinitely able to meet all of our needs, and the needs of others.
Are you one of Jesus’ disciples? Then these lessons are also for you: It is always the right time to love someone by meeting their needs. Acting in faith is the only way to see miracles take place. Thank God for His supply to meet the need even while it is still not evident. God can use anything; our job is to make it all available to Him. Finally, God’s ability to meet the need absolutely supersedes any need. God is powerful enough to do it and loves enough to want to. We simply have to stop sending the needs away to have opportunity to see it happen.
So now, moving in faith, willing to be used to lovingly meet needs…go be awesome!
Jun 17, 2021
7 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…When integrity speaks people listen.
From the mid 1970’s and into the 1980’s there was a well-known advertisement campaign for the Wall Street brokerage firm, Hutton. Most of the commercials were set in busy places such as bars, restaurants, or concert halls. An actor playing the founder of the company, Edward Francis Hutton would lean over to say something to someone nearby. As he began to speak the entire room, noisy a second before would go quiet and everyone would lean toward him to try to hear what he was saying. The narrator of the commercial would then say the line that became famous…”When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”. The idea of course was that the Hutton firm was so successful that everyone wanted to know what E.F. Hutton thought.
Do you know who everyone is always interested in hearing from? A person of unwavering integrity. Pastor Rick was speaking about just such a person this past week. In Mark 6:14-20 we read: 14 Now King Herod heard of Him, [Jesus] for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
King Herod was not a godly man, but the Bible tells us that he liked to listen to John the Baptist. He didn’t like listening to him because John would only tell Herod things he wanted to hear, in fact the scripture says quite the opposite was true. John was incredibly candid with Herod. Herod had married his brother’s wife, and John couldn’t have been more clear that this was an ungodly thing to do, he didn’t hold back the truth at all. He called sin what it is…sin, and if we know anything about John, he most certainly implored Herod to repent and get right with God. This passage points out, as did pastor this weekend, that though Herod apparently wasn’t willing do what was right in terms of his marriage, He did like to listen to what John had to say and as a direct result of some of those conversations, Herod made quite a few adjustments in his life. The bible says And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
In Mathew 11:11 it is recorded that Jesus said of John: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…”. John wasn’t perfect, he was a fallen human being just like you and I, but he did have unwavering integrity. What I mean by that is that when John was confronted with evil he called it what it was and made the remedy (repentance and godliness) known to the offender. His entire ministry surrounded repentance, and he couldn’t have had a ministry of repentance if that ministry hadn’t included calling out unrighteousness when he saw it. John didn’t decide who he would call on the carpet for their sin based on the repercussions to him. He once told off a group of Pharisees for their hypocrisy. We know from the account above that is recorded for us in both Matthew and Mark that John did not waver from telling King Herod of his sin. Sin was sin to John and he was going to point it out and the way to repentance and a renewed relationship with God regardless of the personal cost to himself. John took the charge found in Ezekiel 3:18 & 19 very seriously: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
So what am I saying? Should we beat people over the head with their sin? No, and I don’t think that’s what John the Baptist did either. The sheer number of people he was able to influence and the influential people like Herod who John almost got through to, indicates that though He was direct he must have also been seen as sincere and caring. People must have been able to see that his concern was for their very souls. That coupled with the fact that he was unwavering in his message, regardless of the personal price, caused people to want to hear what he had to say.
So if you want to be one of those people that others want to hear from, you don’t have to be a Wall Street tycoon like E.F. Hutton, you simply need to have integrity. You need only be consistent in your message. We can’t be good Christians on Sunday and then look and sound no different than anyone else on Monday if we want people to listen to what we have to say. Consistency and integrity and love are the keys. I know messages like this are not popular, few are willing to put themselves out there like John the Baptist did. But it is the only right thing to do. If you saw someone getting ready to do something you had knowledge would get them killed would you not out of a sense of concern for their very lives, try to warn them of the danger they were in? Would you remain silent in fear that if you spoke up they might tell you to mind your own business and not to judge them? Of course you wouldn’t. James 5:19,20 says: Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
So now, walking and speaking with integrity and love…go be awesome!
Jun 10, 2021
6 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Blowing Our Minds!
Have you ever had your mind blown? If you are like me, it has happened countless times. Some of those you recall others you do not. Some were likely categorized as positive experiences, while others were filed in the not-so-much receptacle. Sometimes when our minds are blown it is such a powerful experience we want to go share it with somebody…anybody that will listen. Other times it leaves us a bit shell-shocked and we really just want to be alone with our thoughts.
Just uttering the term ‘Having our mind blown’ conjures up all kinds of mental images. There is even a well-used emoji to express to someone that what they have just shared with us has had that effect. What does the term mean? Certainly we are not trying to say that a literal explosion has just happened between our ears. That would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we have already agreed that it has happened many, many times. So what do we mean? When I use the term, I mean that I wasn’t ready to consider whatever I find myself having to consider. That was a mouthful. What I mean is that if one of my grandkids ‘blows my mind’ they probably just did or said something I would not have expected them to say or do. If Pastor Rick ‘blows my mind’ he has likely revealed a truth or a concept from God’s word that I have not yet considered and would not have considered if Pastor hadn’t offered it up for thought. If my sweet wife has just ‘blown by mind’ she simply entered the room, or answered to a call of “Mrs. Brown…” It still ‘blows my mind’ that woman said yes when I asked her to marry me!
When people ‘blow our minds’ they have caused our mind to stretch beyond its normal limitations because they have said or done something beyond the expected. Though not a literal one, an explosion of thought has just taken place inside the realm of our consciousness. As Christ followers these “explosions” should be happening with regularity. In fact, I would say taking into account the after-shocks, our minds should be under a continual state of bombardment.
I believe there are two premises we need to get settled if we are to allow God to ‘blow our minds’ on a regular basis. First we have to understand that we don’t understand. What I mean by that is that we have to start from the position that we have not, do not, nor will we ever be equipped on this side of heaven to fully comprehend the word of God. God says of Himself in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Did you hear that? As much higher as the heavens are than the earth…which part of the heavens is He talking about? Is He referring to the Troposphere that extends heavenward about 12 miles? Perhaps instead He is referencing the Stratosphere with goes farther upward to nearly 30 miles above the earth. Maybe God meant His thoughts were higher like the Mesosphere which reaches 53 miles above the planet, or perhaps it was the Thermosphere He had in mind when He made this statement to Isiah which would extend 372 miles above the earth. Maybe it was the exosphere or outer-space He was thinking of. Is your ‘mind blown yet’? The truth of the matter is the full depth God’s thoughts are out of reach for you and I. And yet, we are instructed to seek to know Him above all else. Jeremiah 9:23-24 tells us: Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. To whatever level we are able we are to seek to know the Lord, to know His word and to understand it as best we can…AND to welcome Him to ‘blow our mind’ as He further reveals greater and greater truth…even if it undoes something we thought we already had settled.
Second, we have to recognize that we are seeking to understand the Living Word of God. It is not stagnant; it does not simply have one application for its truth. It is truth that is always applicable. As our lives change, as other people around us ‘blow our minds’ (not necessarily in a positive way) and we find ourselves questioning everything. God’s word is that Living truth that we can run to for stabilization, for discernment, for understanding…for truth that will allow our reactions and responses to be grounded in godliness. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Paul summed it up beautifully in Ephesians 3:14-21 where essentially he writes that he is praying that the mind of the reader will be blown. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
So now, expecting and inviting God to blow your mind continuously…go be awesome!
Jun 3, 2021
6 min

Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Do It
This slogan used by the Nike footwear company for many years was a very successful ad campaign. These three simple words sold a lot of shoes over the years. Why? Perhaps it was because most of us carry in our hearts and minds dreams of things we would like to do. Nike was able to use the presence of some of those dreams, and the often accompanying thought that we just don’t have what we need to make those dreams come true, to increase their sales. If you had a dream…and bought their shoes…you could ‘Just Do It’.
I am a bit of a woodworker and have built many pieces of furniture over the years, in fact as I have mentioned in past podcasts I actually did that as my vocation for a while. Though that business has been closed for many years now, I still carry the dream of building something I never have before…Windsor chairs. In preparation for the undertaking I did what I often do…I went to YouTube University. There I became familiar with one of the premier Windsor chair makers in America today. He is a gentleman by the name of Curtis Buchanan. Curtis has graciously documented on video every step of making a chair from choosing the trees all the way to applying the milk paint finish and lacquer. He not only describes the necessary actions one must take to build a chair, he also talks about other topics of interest to him as he instructs how to duplicate his craft. He is self-taught, and yet viewed as one of the best chair makers in the industry. During an interview I watched he was asked, “How did you go from being self-taught to being one of the most well-known chair makers of our time. His answer was simple, yet profound. In his southern drawl he said, “I don’t know if I am…but if it’s true I guess it’s just because I kept at it the longest”. In other words, Curtis didn’t let anything stop him…he just did it.
We all have dreams in our hearts and minds. I’m not talking about me making Windsor chairs or some young kid dreaming of being the next star running back in the NFL. I’m talking about those dreams of ministry, those dreams of ways you and I can love people. Some of those dreams are big ones and will require many resources to accomplish, some of them smaller in scope, but still requiring investment to make them come true. What makes some people able to realize their dreams while others never get past the drawing board? I know this…It’s not the shoes.
I think what differentiates those who see dreams fulfilled from those who don’t is ownership. Who owns the dream? Is it in your heart and mind because it is yours? If so, you need to find all of the resources to make it happen. You are responsible for setting all of the necessary steps in motion to see it come to pass. If I want to build that chair, I need to attain the knowledge, I need to buy the tools, I need to collect the wood, I need to dedicate the time and effort, I need to solve any problems that arise. If I do all of those things and stick with it as Curtis Buchanan suggests, then I can build my very own hand crafted Windsor chair. However, if I am not the owner of the dream, most of those aforementioned steps are someone else’s responsibility. So, if the dream’s author and owner is God’s Holy Spirit then all of that is on Him. I only have to…Just do it!
Pastor Rick says often, “If God has said it, it’s like money in the bank.” What he means is that if God puts a dream in your heart, on your mind, of a way to love others…Just Do It. God doesn’t ever simply drop a dream into our minds and then leave the logistics up to us…He has already made the preparations, all He needs from us is to…Just do it! Ephesians 2:8-10 in the New King James Version read as follows: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God’s word is clear, in Christ we have been renewed so that we can do the good works, or in other words fulfill the dreams He puts in our hearts that God has intended all along for us to do. All you have to do? Just do it.
Allow me to read a few selected verses from John chapter 15 from the New Living Translation. Verses 5,7-8,16 & 17: 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing… 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father… 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. I love this scripture because it points out that the dream isn’t mine or yours. We wouldn’t even have it, nor could we do anything about it if we were not connected to the vine. Because the dream comes through the vine, we can look to the vine to provide what is needed to see the dream come to fruition. This scripture concludes by reiterating, we were chosen to carry out the dream, the background work is already in progress. Anything we might imagine is necessary to carry out the dream can be requested of the owner of the dream and we are assured it will be granted. Philippians 4:19 confirms this: 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Again in 2 Corinthians 9:8 the point is made: 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
If God puts the dream in your heart, it is as good as done. It has been purposed for you to be the one to carry it out. There is no need to be overwhelmed by that. It’s His plan not yours, He will make the way. It is His plan, don’t try to hijack it. Do it His way, He has already been working in the background to make it happen His way. Just do it…and give Him all of the glory and praise. I will conclude today with Ephesians 3:20, 21 and allow the scripture to put the exclamation point on this entry. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
So now, recognizing who owns the dream, and who needs to…Just do it…Go be awesome!
May 27, 2021
7 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”And the good news is”
My paternal grandfather Ed Brown, was an amazing man. He was an eternal optimist. There were times when I worked with him and at the end of a long day when I know he was as tired as my dad and I, he would push his chair back from the dinner table and say in his booming voice, “Boys, I think I have my second wind!”. Dad and I would look at each other in disbelief, though I don’t know why…he said those words all the time. The problem was the old guy meant them…and it was back to work some more that evening for the three of us. That man really believed he would always have a second wind to propel him forward. Another phrase he was well known for and that was born out of that sense of eternal optimism was, “And the good news is…” He wouldn’t say ‘But’ the good news is…that would indicate there was something initially to be ungrateful for…and grandpa was a lot of things, but never ungrateful…at least never in my hearing. No, he said “And the good news is…” He would then go on to tell whoever was listening how they needed to be even more grateful because there was always a good way of looking at any situation. Grandpa dealt with some very difficult things. The loss of a young son to a lifelong illness. A failed business that led to a personal bankruptcy…back when that was still looked at a shameful thing to experience. He even had an illness that made him very sick for many years and left him stone deaf. All of these life experiences and other difficult ones to be sure, but he was always ready to tell you, “And the good news is…”.
Grandpa loved my grandma almost more than anything. In fact, the only thing he loved more than her was Jesus. Their intense desire to follow Jesus and give God the glory for everything in their lives did much to shape the way I think about my own walk with the Lord. As I said a few moments ago, grandpa was an eternal optimist. He did look at things in this world with optimism, gratefulness, and a surety that whatever it was…would work itself out. But he truly was an ETERNAL optimist. What was really on his mind, heart and often his lips was, “and the good news is…Jesus loves me!” or “And the good news is…God will see us through this!”, whatever “this” might be, this time. Yes, grandpa was an Eternal optimist!
1 Peter 1:3-9 read as follows and if you’ll allow me the freedom, I’ll quote it as I imagine I hear grandpa would from his front row seats with grandma at the throne of the almighty King Jesus they both love so much.
And the good news is…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
What grandpa would want all of us to know is this…There is great reason for everyone who loves Jesus to be an ETERNAL optimist!
I don’t know what you may be going through today. My life has taught me that there are often things we have to endure, and many of them I’m afraid are unpleasant. Each day we deal with loss of loved ones, illnesses, cancer, financial struggles, job losses, marital difficulties, dysfunctional family issues …we are all at times grieved by various trials as the scripture above indicated. But whatever you do, take grandpa’s advice. Don’t let the various trials be told as the story of your life…they are stories of things that have happened and will happen in your life, but they are not the story of your life. The story of your life…if you love Jesus…if you are a Christ follower is this: that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
“And the good news is…”
So now, being filled and focused on the Good News…go be awesome!
May 20, 2021
5 min

Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Thank you
In our home we have an assistant who will do whatever we ask. She is diligent, rarely does she rest, most if not all of the time, she completes every task we assign to her. She wakes us up every morning exactly when we tell her to. Not a minute earlier or later than we want…exactly when we say she should. She checks on the weather for us. She plays the music we want to hear when we direct her to. She keeps a watchful eye on how long something has been cooking and lets us know to remove it before it burns. If I want her to, she will even check on the internal temperature of my steaks on the grill while I am inside enjoying the air conditioning which she turned on for me before I got home. She runs around the house turning off all of the lights that I instruct her to from the comfort of my bed before I go to sleep. I never have to say please or thank you to her, she owes it to me, after all I allow her and her twins to stay in nearly every room in my home…rent free.
Sometimes I wonder why the creators of Alexa didn’t require that we say please before each request and thank you after each task was carried out. I have mentioned to my wife before that as our grandchildren grow up with such technologies as a regular part of their existence that their generation is losing out on many opportunities to learn the correct ways to respond to real-live-people. I am convinced it plays a part in the total lack of decorum in the world today.
I remember when I was raising my children when they were toddlers. I would give them something or be nearby when someone else would give them something and I would almost always ask a question you have undoubtedly asked nearly a million times yourself. What’s the magic words? Their responses were some cute version of the words they would eventually learn to say clearly and without provocation…please and thank you.
Why do we use these words when we desire something or have received what we wanted? Is it simply because it is the right thing to do? Is it good etiquette, and nothing more? Hopefully it is more than that. Far more than that.
I have noticed something. When I want something that I am about to provide for myself, I do not say please prior to receiving it, nor do I thank myself for getting it for me. With that in mind, why do I ask others prefaced with a please and follow their provision with a thank you? Clearly it is because I am requesting someone else use their time, money, resources or power that I might benefit. In response I recognize the need to be grateful they have met my need at their expense in one form or another. Often times that gratefulness is extended because I know I was completely unable to meet the need myself.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is asking you for something they cannot do for themselves that their requests become more like sincere pleading? Has it struck you sometimes as it has me that when someone thanks you for doing something for them that they recognize was beyond their own ability their thanks are especially heartfelt or given profusely? It feels good to be asked for something in such a manner or to receive such earnest thanks, doesn’t it?
Are we that careful or even more so with God or have the conveniences of our time caused us to become far too cavalier? Do we see Him as the all-knowing, all-powerful, unchangeable, ever present ruler of Heavens Armies, or is He our Alexa in the sky? Do we approach Him as the only one who can meet our needs that we are powerless to affect ourselves, or do we tell Him what we need or want Him to do? What is the last thing God did for you that you could not do for yourself? I’ll tell you. He caused your heart to continue to beat and your chest to rise and fall drawing in the oxygen He replenished with his green creation which will in turn take the carbon dioxide you exhale and turn it into more new fresh oxygen…and He did all of that most recently while you listened to me tell you about it. Have you thanked Him for it yet? Did you ask Him nicely to do it? I am not suggesting we use each breath to thank Him for the last…or am I? we should at least recognize we owe Him the gratitude.
Psalm 75 begins like this; We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. Everyday contains a plethora of reasons to give thanks to God. This verse points that out. The wondrous works of God declare that He and His all-powerful name is nearby. In other words, nothing good happens that doesn’t come directly from Him. James 1:17 tells us; Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. That means He has always been giving good gifts, He is giving good gifts (even as we breath) and He will always give good and perfect gifts. Don’t you think we should try to be more aware of them and be more grateful for them? The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…anything you have…even the breath in your lungs is a gift, use it gratefully.
So now, with a truly grateful heart…go be awesome!
May 13, 2021
5 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…It’s all Greek to me!
Many of you may know my wife Lynn. Some of you know her because she has lived in the communities of Seaford and Bridgeville practically all her life. With the exception of a few very short stints in other places, albeit close by, she has called these two towns and the surrounding area home all of her life. As a result, some of you are familiar with her because you too have been a part of those communities for many if not all of your years. Some of you know her because she is a part of the Crossroad family and you have seen her here at church or at church activities for more than a decade now. Some of you know her because of her career. She has worked for the Woodbridge school district in one capacity or another for many years. When we met she was a brand new teacher. 10 years later she left the classroom to become a school administrator. She is now back in the classroom, privileged to get to spend the remaining years of her profession doing what was always the desire of her heart…teaching children. One of the things I hear her talk of often and have for the entirety of our marriage has been teaching strategies. Some better than others, some highly successful with some students while other strategies seem to resonate with different students. I find it highly interesting to listen as she tells me of all of the various ways children learn. In light of that, I was intrigued by something I read in a book that has captured my attention lately.
In his work The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn, the author speaks about a Greek word, Hupogrammos. Grammos means writing and Hupo means under, so the literal interpretation of the word is underwriter. In our vernacular that term refers to a person or persons who accept the risk of a fiduciary relationship, such as a mortgage or an insurance policy. They are the entity that determines that the risk is one worth taking for the financial institution involved. But in ancient Greek times it meant something much closer to the literal meaning of the term. It was actually a teaching strategy not unlike some of those employed by my wife today as she teaches kindergarten students to write. The hupogrammos was a small, shallow box containing a layer of soft wax. The ‘Teacher’ would write a word in the wax with a stylus made of wood and then the ‘Student’ would take their own stylus and allow the point to follow along in the groove of the word written out by the teacher. In this way the student would learn the shapes of the letters and the words they formed when linked together.
My new understanding of this Greek word hupogrammos became more interesting yet when Cahn linked it with a specific scripture. 1 Peter 2:21 says For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. The Greek word that Peter wrote that we have translated into the word ‘example’ was hupogrammos. Kahn points out that what Peter was saying was that Jesus left us a learning strategy to act as we should as His followers. We are to literally allow our lives, our words, our actions even our thoughts toward others be patterned after or be tracings of the life, words, actions and thoughts toward others Christ chose. John wrote that God is Love. John also recorded for us that Jesus said He only did and said what the Father told Him to. Ergo…Jesus’ life, words, actions and thoughts toward others were those of love. Ephesians 5:1-2 say this; Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling aroma.
If we are to be good imitators, if we are going to follow the hupogrammos that is Christ with the stylus that is our life, then it seems to me there is one Greek word we must learn to write with our lives, words actions and thoughts over and over and over again. Much like the days of old, long before my wife was a teacher in a classroom when another teaching strategy was employed regularly. If you are as old (or as irreverent) as I, you remember being made to stay in an empty classroom to write the same sentence on the chalkboard again and again. One had to repeat this exercise until the lesson finally took hold while your classmates were at recess or already well on their way home at the end of the day. So what is this Greek word we all need to know how to illustrate in every facet of our lives? What word needs to permeate all of our actions, our words, our every thought toward others? Look it’s written for us…right there in the hupogrammos. A-G-A-P-E…A-G-A-P-E…A-G-A-P-E.
So now, learning to L-O-V-E with your actions, to L-O-V-E with your words, to L-O-V-E with your thoughts toward others…imitate Jesus life with yours, take your stylus and…go be Awesome!
May 6, 2021
5 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Special Order
Some of you know that I have five children and 13 grandchildren. I love all of them equally. I know this to be true because none of them could do anything to make me love them more. Conversely, there isn’t anything that any of them could get themselves into or be a part of that would cause me to love them any less. They can and have disappointed me at times, but never…ever have I loved them one iota less.
Funny thing is that I enjoy each of them for the individual characteristics they have. When I spend time with my son for example, I know there are going to be things that are a part of our conversations and time together that I will enjoy immensely, but I would not enjoy those same things with one of my daughters. In fact, I would enjoy differing things with each of my daughters or any of my grandchildren. I love them all the same, but enjoy the variety of relationships I have with each of them because of their differences.
Have you ever wondered why God made us all different from one another? Why are some of us introverts while others are extroverts? Why are some of us leaders and others followers? Why are some of us fun-loving while others are so serious all the time? Why are we all as different from one another as our identifying fingerprints are exclusive to each of us? God wants to have the unique relationship he can have only with you. Yes, He enjoys the one He has with me, and He loves the one He has with pastor Rick, but He also loves and longs for the one He can have especially with you.
God’s word says that he has done this on purpose. Psalm 139:13 & 14 says; For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… These verses indicate that each of us, with all of our differences are all to be considered not only special but especially made…special ordered if you will. As of late there has been much ado made of learning not to notice the differences among us. While this is done under the guise of bringing about unity…unfortunately it serves to perpetuate an awful untruth. We are not all the same, we are different in a myriad of ways. We are not more or less valuable than one another, the same terrible high price was paid for us all, but we are purposefully made different from one another. We have each been created exactly as we are with great intent and by the Master’s perfectly thought out design.
This Psalm, one of my favorites, begins by telling us how intently God pays attention to each of us. It states that He knows if we are standing up or lying down. It says He is aware if we are going out or coming in. I like the thought of that one especially because it means God knows if I am coming or going which is more than I can say for myself on some days! It goes on to speak of how He also knows our thoughts and what we will say, even before we do. One might be able to argue that this scripture only speaks of God’s omniscience and not of His targeted love for each of us except that verses 17 & 18 go on to say; How precious also are Your thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; let’s face it, God has made you just the way He wanted to, and He is crazy about you! You are the apple of His eye! The fact that He made you so different than He made me or anyone else, and that he pays such close attention to us, leaves no room for misunderstanding. He made you and I…all of us…special order.
So don’t get caught up wanting the relationship He has with anyone else. Don’t fall for comparing your personal relationship with Him with someone else’s to determine its value. If God wanted cookie cutter relationships with His creation, we would all look, sound and act the same. The variety in people alone dispels that notion. Yes, there is some common ground we must all land on. He must be acknowledged as the only begotten Son of God. He must be recognized as the only way, the truth, and the life. Our knee must bow, our heart must confess that He and He alone is Lord. But the flavor of the relationship, the ways that we appreciate who He is. These are as different and varied as we are. Special relationships, specially ordered, as unique as our fingerprints.
So now, running with abandon into the specially ordered relationship He wants to have with you…Go be awesome!
Apr 29, 2021
5 min

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…the sound of power…
Many of you know that this is my favorite season of the year. Spring is full of promise! There is very little that happens naturally speaking during this season that I don’t like. Even rainy spring days seem to drip with hope. Though I even enjoy those, the best ones in my humble opinion are the warm sunny ones. I find the ones that are warmer than we should expect, that are bright with sunshine and where white billowing clouds burst forth upon the clear blue sky are the absolute best! There is nothing quite like it to fill one’s senses with joy. A willing mind will on one of those days slip unencumbered into a heart of worship for the God who created it.
Another reason I like those particular kind of days is because before long if you pay attention and listen you will hear the sound of power. The sound of two, four or sometimes even six cylinders releasing their throaty growls from the chrome plated trumpets pointed toward the direction from whence they have come. Those cylinders roaring from atop two wheels, working their way to a crescendo before changing gears and growling yet again is music to my ears. I have ridden motorcycles all of my life. As a child I would climb on behind my dad, put my arms around his waist, interlace my fingers and hold on. Even then I loved the sound of power exiting the machine propelling me into the wind! At the tender age of 12 my dad taught me to drive those two wheeled vehicles of unending vitality and I have been hooked ever since. A couple of years ago I decided my version of the sound of power needed some help and with the installation of a new set of trumpets...much louder than the stock ones of course…I smile like the 12-year-old all those years ago every time I light the fire within the engine. Yes, I love the sound of power, and I love spring because in part it means the return of that sound to the landscape.
You know what else has the sound of power? So much so that it makes the exhaust pipes of my motorcycle seem like the meek whimper of a newborn puppy? Hebrews 4:12 in the New King James Version says; For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God’s Word has the sound of power because it is all powerful. It has ability and authority beyond anything else in all of His creation. It was in fact the sound of that all-powerful Word that spoke all of creation into its very being. There was the spoken Word that brought it all about, and there is also the written Word that is referenced in this verse. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit utilizing the hand of man it was recorded literally through the ages from Moses to the Prophets, to the Apostles as well as unnamed others. This written word that we have available to us in such great supply is no less powerful than those utilized to speak the cosmos into existence. This scripture tells us of the Word’s power to change our lives by cutting away that which is not like the ultimate Author and leaving behind that which can be transformed and developed to reflect Him better. One of my favorites, 2 Timothy 3:16 in the New International Readers Version states that scripture as follows; God has breathed life into all of scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. God’s written word has the same potential for the sound of power in our lives as did His spoken Word at creation.
There is also the unknown and yet to be known Word of God and its sound of power lacks for nothing in comparison to the two others noted above. In Isiah 55:11 it is recorded that God said to the prophet of His all-powerful word concerning His will; So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. We don’t always have the inside knowledge of what those words are, but we do have the assurance that because they are spoken with the highest sound of power they will be accomplished. What God speaks, He speaks into existence, reality has no choice but to comply with His ultimate will. What God’s will dictates, will happen with the same certainty that creation has happened and the same power will have propelled them both forth. Finally, let scripture point out this attribute of the ultimate authoritative sound of power that is the Word of God. Psalm 119:89 resounds the truth of God’s Word, whether His creative Word, His recorded, inspired written Word, or the known and as yet unknown Word indicating His will, all of it, Every Word. Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. The Word of God is the incredible supreme sound of power that will never ever fade away.
So as spring has come yet again offering us all the hope of the newness of life enjoy the warmth of the days. And as the days become warmer and warmer you will undoubtedly hear more and more of those iron horses galloping over the open roads. As you do let their sound of power remind you that you are connected to, changed by, and in love with, the sovereign and supreme sound of power…The Word of The Most High!
So now, listening always for His sound of power in your life…Go be awesome!
Apr 22, 2021
6 min
Load more