In our last episode we spoke about being “resolute” in pursuing a deeper walk with the Lord. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Unlike any other book, God’s word produces life to those who attend to it!  Proverbs 4:20-22, states “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body.”

In John 16:13-15 we read “…He (the Holy Spirit) will guide you into all truth…”

Accepting Jesus as our savior is just the beginning, there is the promise of full abundance through a deep relationship with Him, and we have His word to discover who He is and how He wishes to speak to and through us!

Nearing the end of every year, people across the globe look at new personal goals to improve themselves, their circumstances, and the outcome of their efforts. We call these “resolutions.”

As a Christ follower, let us be “resolute” in desiring a deeper walk with the Lord in 2023?

Every year the Bible outsells other “best selling” materials by as much as five fold.  The bible is reported to be the most sold book of all times. A recent study found that “87% of adult households in the United States own a Bible”… Americans say they do not prioritize reading the Bible because they “do not have time.”

Apart from Him, we can do nothing, we are nothing. In Him, we are complete, whole, and have experienced the miracle of regeneration. Psalm 19:7-11, speaks to the value and virtue of His word, referring to it as “Perfect, trustworthy, wise, right, radiant, pure, firm, and righteous.”

This year resolve to walk more closely with Him – to experience the virtues of Psalm 19, and to knowing Him, reading the Bible,  and speaking to him through prayer!

In Luke 8:15, Jesus spoke to the need to be patient and persevere in the pursuance and retention of His Word. His Word is both life changing and life giving.

This is the “good soil” that Jesus speaks of -- the soil of a man's heart that receives the Word and retains it, and through patience and perseverance produces the crop of His harvest (paraphased).

A farmer first prepares the soil, then plants the seed.  He then continues to nurture the seed through fertilization and irrigation…then they wait for the harvest.

To the Christ follower, we prepare the soil of our hearts through the humble acknowledgment of His authority and His Lordship over our hearts and lives.  We fertilize and irrigate our hearts through the continued reading and retention of His word, followed by patience and perseverance in the same.

The profit Isaiah said it best in Isaiah 40:31… “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up as with wings on eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 9:6 prophetically proclaims "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, And he will be called -- Wonderful Couselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  

These few short brief words proclaimed by the Prophet Isaiah, could not have better stated what God intended for all of mankind, a gift, one life for another, to bring not only Peace, but Eternal Life!!

As you enjoy the gathering of friends and family, the exchange of gifts, and the celebrations of shared food and a fellowship, take a moment to reflect the greatest gift every given to mankind!  One life, His life, Jesus Christ for you, me and all of mankind!!  

Merry Christmas!! And God's Richest Blessing!

Who does not like to learn a secret?  The word secret itself is shrouded in mystery, intrigue, unknown, uncertainty, wonder, and perhaps even suspense.  It suggests a high level of sensitivity and care in managing information.  Can one be trusted and responsible with the information?

In Matthew 13:11, Jesus refers to His words as the “Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Do we view his word in light of Jesus’ description? Do we understand the value to the “Secret” Jesus speaks of? Are we willing to embrace it? What is this “Secret?”

In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus offers a parable, saying, “if we listen to what He is saying and put His word into practice, in our lives, we will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock – nothing will be able to destroy it.” (paraphrased).

In order for His word to come alive in us, we must prepare the soil of our hearts. Last week we visited this topic as a “Reload” of a podcast discussion much earlier.  During that episode we covered new thoughts and reflections.

This week we read Matthew’s accounting of the same “Parable of the Four Soils (Matthew 13:3-9)," and visit his use of the word "Secret" and it connection to preparing our hearts to be entrusted with His truth!!

What is a “Good Heart?” A “Good Heart” is not self focused. A “Good Heart” is selflish, God seeking, and God glorifying.

In Luke 8:14 Jesus tells the parable of seed. He talks about the type of soil that the seed fell upon, stating that only good soil produces a bounty of return. The soil simply rejoices in the harvest that the seed produces. So it is with man, the soil is that of our heart, the seed, the word of God. We enjoy the benefits of watching, witnessing, and experiencing the harvest of God’s word, planted in the soil of a “good heart.”

For many, Thanksgiving is a time of celebration, allowing us to reflect on who and what we are thankful for, to gather with family and friends, enjoy the tradition of turkey, stuffing, side dishes and deserts. It is a time of laughter and shared appreciation for one another, for our work, and the fruits of its labor.

For others, It is a time of sorrow, regret, shame, loneliness and isolation. Statistically, the highest levels of depression and anxiety occur around the holidays. For this group, the holidays represent an emotional roller coaster of unmet expectations, unresolved and open ended family matters, and feelings leading to “posing” in order to simply get through the day.

This side of heaven, the influence of our life experience with others and our need for acceptance in society, will affect our willingness to gather, to experience life, and celebrate freely.

While our lives have produced feelings both good and not so good, the Bible speaks to our ability to experience life from a different perspective – one of freedom!

We cannot experience freedom until we let of what has bound us.

In the Biblical book of 1 John 5:4, the author, the apostle John, writes “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” In verse 5 of the same chapter… “Who is it that overcomes the world? One the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” God is Life, there is not other!

Freedom from feelings of regret, doubt, or disbelief can be achieved!

In 2008, at the age of 83, my father lost a short battle with cancer, but not without first leaving an his imprint of love on the heart of my son, his grandson Andrew. It is not everyday that any of us receive the kind of love from another that Andrew received from his grandfather. It was as unconditional as I have ever seen and brought the image of the cross down to earth, for all of those who knew him, to witness personally.

It was a slice of heaven on earth. In John 15:13, we are reminded that “greater love hath no one man have for another, than he lay his life down for his friends.” This scripture is referring to the work Jesus did for you and I on the cross, and what an example of unconditional love.

This Andrew’s experience and this story demonstrate a likeness of the unconditionality that the cross demonstrates for us.

I hope it blesses you as you listen to the story of the love written on the tablet of my son’s heart by his loving grandfather.

Very few of us have been raised in the rich environment of a completely whole family.  Parenting does not come with a training manual and we all fall victim to both the blessings and curses in the process.  I used to say “when I grow up….” Do we ever really grow up?  Or do we simply adjust to the pressures and develop coping mechanisms that allow us to find our way.

In the Book of Romans, the 3rd chapter, Paul addresses the premise that we all suffer from the same, sin, we are all “bruised reeds” (Matthew 12:20) and the sooner we can identify that, the better we will be in finding our way to a lifestyle of freedom, freedom as can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we have all “fallen short.” When we ask ourselves, “Do I have what it takes?” …. In and of myself, NO, and I need others to navigate life.

None of us were designed to function in isolation and the excuses we use to justify our passivity and lack of connection do not produce forward progress.

One of the challenges men face, is our willingness to acknowledge our weaknesses and imperfections.  Much of our difficulty in being transparent and vulnerable stems from generations of training to be strong in the face of adversity. We are taught from a young age not to show our emotions, to be determined and courageous, to simply “shake it off” and be a man.  We are raised to be emotionally hardened. We are told that showing emotion is not a masculine trait.

We have all been to a funeral in which a husband, otherwise strong, is publicly broken before family and friends, at the loss of his wife. It is a public form of permission to experience true feeling and enter into the loss.

The bible tells us that we are created in the image of God, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, including our ability to experience joy and sadness, laughter and tears. In fact, three years ago, as I gave away my daughter in marriage, I experienced tears of joy, mixed with those of sorrow.  All emotions are a gift of God.

I recall the first time I attended a small group men’s ministry function. After the large group gospel presentation, we broke into small groups of 4-5 guys. I really did not want to be there, “this was not what real men do,”  I recall thinking. The truth was, the thought of “breaking life down” together, seemed to be for those who were weak, and broken. I did not see myself as that and was not willing to consider that I might be just that!!

In Isaiah 42:3, Isaiah refers to man as “a bruised reed.” If we are all honest, we can all identify that life is not what it would seem, we “mask” our hidden sorrows, troubles, worries, concerns, and… yes…. “bruises.” In Galatians 5:1, Paul wrote – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Freedom from our past, present, and freedom in our future. First eternal, but also freedom to live a life in “full abundance” (John 10:10).

But freedom as not known if we do not first acknowledge the confinement we may be experiencing – we are “bruised reeds.”